WHAT CAUSES MIDDLE-AGED SPREAD?

Weight is put on more easily in later years because of changes in both your metabolism and lifestyle. The most significant change is loss of lean muscle tissue, which is mostly replaced with fat.

Between the ages of 25 and 70, the average woman loses 5 kg (11 lb) of muscle while the average man loses 10 kg (22 lb) muscle. As muscle cells burn more energy than fat, your metabolism slows in proportion to the amount of muscle tissue you lose.

On average, your resting metabolism slows by around 5% every ten years after the age 25. People tend to take less exercise as they get older, too.