How many men over 45 do you know who are the same weight they were in college? How many men do you know who are the same weight they are at 55 as they were at 45? Did you know that it is not unusual for men of a certain age to gain 6-10 pounds per year once they reach maturity? Now 6-10 pounds doesn't sound too bad, until you start thinking about 10 years of that process, during which a relatively trim 175 pounds becomes anywhere from 235 to 275 pounds, and take body fat percentages from a lean 12% to a hefty 35% or more.
There are a number of reasons for this weight gain. Some of them are very easy to understand. For example, men in their 40's & 50's tend to be immersed in their careers, and have family and business responsibilities which take their time and attention away from the gym and the athletic activities of youth. Furthermore, business dinners and social functions put them off their diets or eating plans.
But some of the reasons for the weight gain are less obvious and more insidious. As men age, it is common to experience a lessening of testosterone levels in the blood, and from that, to experience a difficulty in creating and maintaining lean muscle mass. Furthermore, as levels drop, the percentage of testosterone which is converted into estrogen rises. A rise in estrogen results in the aggregation of fat around the hips and lower stomach. As this fat accumulates, it increases the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, a process which takes place, in part, in fatty tissues, and the process becomes self-reinforcing.
Fortunately there are remedies to all of these situations. Not the least of which is an eating plan which recognizes what is going on in the body. Furthermore, it is possible to make certain lifestyle changes which are appropriately geared to gradual, sustainable fat loss. Lastly, in some cases intervention by a physician versed in men's hormone replacement therapies can effect rapid and substantial change.