Nutrition and healthy eating

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• November 18, 2012 2:15 p.m.

  My mother is 64 years old and is obese and needs to lose a considerable amount of weight. What professional beyond her doctor need to be involved in order to get her on the right path?

  - Mike

• October 3, 2012 11:08 p.m.

  All the comments from older people being thin and healthy are depressing. About 10 years ago I went to Weight Watchers, followed the program, and lost--zero. I think it is in the genes: some people will be overweight no matter what. Wait--once I was very sick and lost 15 pounds. So the solution for me seems to be "don't eat." Whoopie.

  - Kathy

• July 17, 2012 8:20 a.m.

  I'm 47 and stronger and in better shape than I was as a teen.

  - Lisa

• April 18, 2012 11:06 a.m.

  A few random thoughts: I'm afraid that I represent that cliche "Everything in moderation." There are few foods (that I like) that I don't eat on occasion. Red meat? I have a homemade burger every week or so. I also like seafood and most meats. Butter? I have it lightly spread along with canola, olive, and walnut oils. I have reduced fat products, but avoid all fat-free foods that are supposed to have a fat component--no fat free cheese, ice cream, etc. My husband was diabetic so we got used to small servings of pasta that we could have every day if we so chose. Fruits and veggies? about 5 daily (I'll never hit 10!). I've adjusted to smaller desserts. I also exercise moderately. (I probably couldn't have done this at 15.) All in all problems with overweight and fitness are proving to be tougher than most of us would have expected. I have noticed that some friends and family deceive themselves regarding the calories they consume. Perhaps Mother Nature is not always happy when we strive to lose weight? I have speculated that before following a reducing regime an overweight person follow a maintenance regime for perhaps a few weeks as a stabilizer before attempting to take off pounds. I don't think I know anyone who has actually tried this.

  - Jansi

• November 28, 2011 8:28 a.m.

  Jim - References are listed at the bottom of the page. Here's the study mentioned: Mozaffarian D, et al. Changes in diet and lifestyle and long term weight gain in women and men. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:2392. Thanks for your question.

  - Mayo Clinic staff

• November 24, 2011 10:16 a.m.

  Your brief article refers to "a recent study." It would be nice if you included a reference to it.

  - Jim

• November 17, 2011 10:05 p.m.

  relationships! At my age of 52 i find that i am profoundly affected by relationships. when i get that straight, i believe i will be focused and ready to give this weight thing a real go. when my relationships are screwed up with my kids, grandkids, in laws, employees, it all goes to pot. i don't think we can truly concentrate with all that background noise. first things first.

  - rene

• November 13, 2011 12:15 a.m.

  Since the baby boomers are the largest demographic we need an answer to this weight gain problem. I was thin until my early fifties and no matter what I do I cannot get the weight off. Please get the scientists working on this problem. I cannot exercise more than an hour day because I have a career and serve on many boards. This is ridiculous....I was told by my doctor that I should only eat 500 calories a day. BS.

  - Kay

• October 29, 2011 4:58 p.m.

  As you get older you may have to work a little harder to stay healthy and keep your weight in check. True, everyone is different but if you're not losing weight and you're trying to, more than likely the problem is what you're eating. I'm 48 and am now at the same weight I was when I was in my 20s. I'm in great shape. Thank God.

  - ada

• October 12, 2011 10:13 p.m.

  It's discouraging to gain weight despite running on the treadmill for 45 min a day, 3 miles, 5 days a week. I've tried to cut back portions and maybe have a small snack at night. I feel like I eat maybe 2,000 calories a day and I probably burn 500 in a workout. One problem I have is my family eats a lot of carbs (potatoes, breads, stuffing, rice) and that's probably a killer but I can't get them to give them up. I've read fiber burns carbs so I've tried that and I don't think that's working. I have to eat what my family eats so I try to burn it off in other ways but that's not working too well. I guess I have to stop eating other than my one carb filled, fat filled meal with my family in order to hopefully lose weight.

  - Mike

• October 12, 2011 10:26 a.m.

  Your article was of big help as I've been perplexed over the past 9 months or so of weight gain. I'm 58 at 6'3". My work in the past 2 years has been very sedentary with work days of 17 hours 6 days a week. As my gut is my only source of fat I began hitting the gym o ce again 1 1/2 months ago. To date the 30 extra pounds that I'm sporting hasn't budged. I'm am pretty conscious of my diet and eat fairly well considering my work day. I came across your site while looking at the side effects of HGH. Contemplating taking something to help get rid of my gut. Any suggestions? I will follow your posted suggestions although I'm careful about the consumption of those items. Thanks again for the direction.

  - Old Spice

• October 5, 2011 10:59 a.m.

  I am 15 and i weigh 145 pounds. i excersize 4 or 5 times a week(push ups, sit ups) so i would say i am modereatly active person. these articles will help me to stay the way i am.

  - austin

• September 5, 2011 4:38 p.m.

  Well, mid 40s 4 kids born to me and no weight gain really yet, about 3lbs higher than my 20yo weight but I was underweight. Which is what I think is the key - start out skinny and you can gain some as you age. I am at 18.5 BMI now and abt 18-19% body fat and at bottom of normal for height; would like to gain some mass when older, so as not to be frail. I kept hearing "when you are 30 you won't be able to eat like that" "when you are 40 you won't be able to eat like that" but so far it hasn't happened. I do high intensity aerobics 3-4 times a week, eat moderately, don't drink. Nothing extreme. But again, I feel I can be less afraid of the weight gain 'cause I could get 15lb and still be pretty thin, instead of trying to be ideal weight now, and fat later, I want skinny now, ideal weight later.

  - RB

• August 20, 2011 10:23 a.m.

  Everyone is unique and different and reacts differently to exercise and diet and changes in diet. I agree that any article written on the subject must generalize about expectations for most the authors readers, but certainly whatever is said will not apply to ALL readers. Each person on this planet has a different rate of metabolism and tolerance to exercise. We all know someone who can eat an entire deep dish pizza, then have dessert and never seems to gain an ounce. Likely that is not anyone reading this article. It's important to get to know yourself and how you're body reacts to the diet and exercise plan (re: life style choice) you decide to follow. Aging does tend to slow a person down - maybe due to health issues, changes in the body. But changes are the only thing that can make a difference - the status quo will only continue your weight gain.

  - Jim

• July 30, 2011 2:00 p.m.

  Husband and I have been doing the walk for a long time

  - Marian

• July 30, 2011 12:08 p.m.

  all the comments are about weight gain--what about weight loss; i have seen countless men wearing shorts with the skinny legs indicating weight loss which looks to me like muscle mass loss, added to upper body muscle mass loss. any suggestions here besides deliberate exercise?

  - murray

• July 29, 2011 11:05 a.m.

  Having passed thru menopause, I've discovered the same inevitable rise in pounds, despite a diet of about 1200 cals/day and daily exercise. But since I'm not in high school, where everyone tells you your faults daily, who cares? I continue to try not to gain, but don't sweat it. There's always Tai Chi for exercise, if arthritis gets too dreadful. At least, it helps keep the blood moving and the joints don't freeze up.

  - Diana

• July 27, 2011 11:53 p.m.

  Like Domenica I too was mid 50s when I went into menopause and am now 65 years old and have been packing on the pounds. And like Gayle I have osteoarthritis which limits my exercise. I also have a bad back and foot which make exercise even more difficult. My doctor gave me a prescription for Celebrex but I couldn't afford the hundreds of dollars to get it. I watch my diet carefully with fish, poultry, lean meat, fruits and vegetables but it doesn't do any good. And to Deb - When I was 46 I also was very slender. My weight came over the last 10 years.

  - Maggie

• July 27, 2011 6:03 p.m.

  Having read all the comments I am rather disheartened! I do believe as an animal farmer it is pretty much rule of thumb animals keep getting bigger and bigger (unless ill) until they are elderly at which point they begin to shrink. It is my feeling that that is the way it is. Yes we have to eat healthy, excercise and get our sleep, but nature will take it's course.

  - Sandy

• July 27, 2011 5:44 p.m.

  I am so sick of articles and postings like this. I honestly don't care what other people "believe." If what you do works for you, great. But don't generalize to others. As to cut 500/burn 500,try reading a New York Times article entitled "Fat Factors." One sentence in the article: for some people, 500 calories a day less is a bad joke. I was in mid-50's when I went into menopause. Out of nowhere, 10 pounds appeared, then another ten pounds. I am now 65. I exercise 5 days a week (close to 7 hours total). I am reasonably active in my daily life. I weigh just about all the food I eat - in other words, I know my portion sizes. I switched to whole grains a long time ago. Ditto lean meat, low fat or fat free dairy, etc. etc. etc. etc. IT DOESN'T WORK. And I am really, really tired of the looks I get from doctors and other medical types that clearly communicate "You must be lying" even when their lips don't say those words. (And, yes, my thyroid is normal.) Two final comments. First, according to GEMS (not to mention a rough equation of my calorie needs based on my height, age, etc.), my target is 1300 calories a day. How do you propose to cut 500 calories a day from that. Second, most of the recipes that nutritionists have recreated -- that I have read and tried - are awful. I have returned to a true Mediterranean diet (not an Italian diet, American style). My weight may not be where doctors think it should be, but my health is very g

  - Domenica

• July 27, 2011 5:36 p.m.

  Deb, at 46 I was in the same place you are now. BUT at 56 I am almost 20 pounds heavier. I eat well and and am still very active although not as active as 46 so I attribute some of the the weight gain to less exercise. After menopause I really noticed the "girth gain" gettingon mentioned. I was always very slim and now I am sort of matronly. I have to work very hard and eat significantly less to lose weight which I am in the process of doing. Sigh....

  - Trish

• July 27, 2011 12:48 p.m.

  I have hypothyroidism and no matter how much or how little I eat, I still gain weight. I cannot lose no matter what I do or what diet I try. I am 76 yrs old and have had Hypothyroid for at least 12 yrs. Is it possible to lose weight with thy "albatross" hanging over my head?

  - Eddi

• July 27, 2011 11:41 a.m.

  i don't believe weight gain is inevitable as you age. i'm forty six and still weigh what i did in high school due to a healthy diet and regular exercise about 3 days a week for 30 min plus use resistance bands for arm and shoulder strength a couple times a week so i maintain upper body muscle. the key for me is to eat often throughout the day but make snacks small and healthy. if you don't get hungry you don't overeat. don't deprive yourself of what you like and you won't crave it in large quantities. i eat something sweet everyday and enjoy a beer a few days a week. it's just lifestyle choices and i don't feel any different today than i did at 18 and i feel very fortunate for that.

  - Deb

• July 26, 2011 9:48 a.m.

  Weight gain, no.But girth gain,so changes to BMI caused by loss of height.Slow,insideous shrinkage.Muscle weighs more than fat, so no weight change,just higher fat comp.But middle inches, the ones that give that dangerous apple shape, see them everywhere.If you can't do very much leg work, do upper body work so you can get out of your chair...Take in 500 less and burn 500 more.You will age more gracefully.Keep your teeth to enjoy crunching fruit and vegetable.Drink water, lots of it.Minimize "pills and potions" get variety of food for its vit,min,and intrinsic factors that help absorb them.

  - gettingon

• July 25, 2011 11:33 a.m.

  I have to say that a <10 lb. weight gain in 20 years seems rather reasonable to me, especially if it is for people older than 30. I can and have gained and lost 30 lbs. in two years! I would be very happy to be stable enough that I only gain 0.5 lb. in one year. And I would have to question this study anyway, because I have heard that most people gain at least 1 lb just over the winter holidays every year.

  - Mary