Obesity is a modern day epidemic that cannot be overlooked. Bad eating habits and lack of physical activity has plagued many individuals, both old and young all across the world. But, the situation is a lot more tricky for people who are part of the higher age category. And considering examples that most of us would’ve witnessed over the course of our lives, this fact becomes even more apparent. More often than not, people do end up gaining fat as they grow older. But why exactly does this happen?
To find out what influences the slowing down of fat loss in older human bodies, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden conducted a study wherein they analyzed the fat cells of 54 men and women over an average period of 13 years. They found that the rate of lipid turnover in the fat cells of these individuals drastically slowed down, regardless of whether they lost weight or not. This means that the speed of storage or removal of lipid (or fats) in the fat cells took a big hit.
The researchers also examined 41 women who underwent bariatric surgery. Interestingly, they observed that over a period of seven years, women who had a lower lipid turnover rate before the surgery managed to maintain their weight loss better than the ones who had higher turnover rates. The researchers believe that this could be attributed to the fact that the women with lower rates had more room to increase it when compared to the women who already had a high turnover rate to begin with. This study opens up the possibility to treat obesity related issues in a different way as there could be other criteria that regulate processes within the fat tissue even when we factor in the age of the person.
Studies that were conducted prior to this new discovery state that increased levels of exercise could also improve lipid turnover rates. So, adding a good quality workout routine to your lifestyle post surgery would definitely help in upregulating lipid turnover rates.
Although studies have shown that having lower turnover rates before surgery could be helpful in the long run, it is still not advisable as surgery is not an option for many of us. Beside the cost overheads that are involved in getting surgery, there are several other factors such as recovery time and other side effects that one must consider before opting for this route. So, the best possible way to maintain a healthy lifestyle for older people is through countering the lowering of lipid turnover rates by following a clean diet plan and workout regimen. Following these two golden rules will definitely go a long way in helping you stay fit, lean and active!