Khaberni - Women in their sixties around the world, and perhaps slightly before that age, face increasing difficulty in losing weight and maintaining an ideal weight with each passing year.
After the age of thirty, they lose between 3% to 8% of their muscle mass every ten years. This gradual decline, known as "muscle atrophy," makes it difficult to maintain strength and activity and can slow down the metabolism, making weight control more challenging.
According to Good Housekeeping, Oliver Witard, a senior lecturer in sports metabolism and nutrition at King's College London, says: "Once you reach your forties, the body's ability to convert protein into muscle begins to fade, which means there is a need to rely more on diet than in younger stages."
Nutritionist Kim Pearson agrees with this view, saying: "Those looking to lose weight should always aim to consume optimal amounts of protein." It is an important step for overall health, as the more muscle mass one has, the higher the basal metabolic rate. If muscle mass decreases, the metabolic rate also decreases.
Early weight gain
A comprehensive study, published in the journal Science in 2021, shows that the metabolic rate begins to decline starting from the age of sixty. But for many, the process of weight gain starts early. Menopause can increase insulin resistance, which encourages the accumulation of fat around the waist, the most harmful type because it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Waist measurement and resistance to obesity
The waist measurement should be less than half the height, which means a man who is 1.83 meters tall should keep his waist less than 91 cm, and a woman who is 162 cm tall should keep her waist less than 81 cm.
Protein helps in resisting obesity. Research shows that diets high in protein increase hormones like GLP-1 and PYY, which lead to feelings of fullness, while reducing ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger. In other words, protein helps curb appetite in a way similar to GLP-1 weight loss drugs, such as Mounjaro, keeping cravings under control.
Fewer calories
A study published in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Journal found that women who follow a low-protein diet consume about 210 more calories per day compared to those who eat more protein.
Consuming protein at breakfast can also help, as a study published in the journal Nutrients revealed that people who eat a protein-rich breakfast—like eggs or Greek yogurt—consume about 111 fewer calories later in the day and feel fuller for longer.
