As we age, our basal metabolic rate and total muscle mass tend to decrease. We burn up less energy than we did as young adults. This happens at a time of life when activity levels often decrease, while food intake remains unchanged, or even increased. These factors combine and result in increased rates of obesity in middle age and beyond. Obesity is linked to many other health problems, and due to its inflammatory nature, causes our bodies to age faster.
Specific cells in our body are designed to absorb and store fat, but there is a finite number of these cells. Our body will first fill up the fat storing cells under our skin and in our limbs, but once these are full it starts to lay down fat around our blood vessels and vital organs. This is called visceral fat, which is damaging and dangerous for the body. Once all the fat storing cells become full, they start to get overloaded and increase in size. Eventually they become so overwhelmed and stressed that they can no longer function properly. These damaged and stressed fat cells release chemicals and hormones that trigger a chronic inflammatory response. These chemicals and hormones also make it harder to burn fat, and decrease our sensitivity to insulin. This process of fat storing, stress, chemical release, impaired weight loss ability, and the development of other obesity-related health conditions leads to a downward spiral of worsening health and decreased quality of life.
