Bobbi
Cathlete
Decrease in Metabolism
Here's an excerpt from an article on the web dealing with this subject:
This decrease is due (for a great part) to the decrease in muscle tissue that
accompanies aging. If a person loses muscle mass, but continues to eat at
the same rate as before, the food will be converted into fat tissue. Fat
tissue has a much lower metabolic rate than muscle tissue, so the person's
body weight may not change (the loss of muscle mass is offset by the
increase in fat mass) but the person's metabolic rate may be lower than
expected for that weight.
The lack of estrogen in post-menopausal women leads to a decrease in
metabolic rate through two mechanisms. The first is a decrease in RMR:
women develop an increase in abdominal fat mass, and a decrease in
muscle mass (the "matronly figure"), which leads to a decrease in RMR.
The second mechanism is a decrease in energy expenditure in physical
activity. Estrogen replacement therapy can counteract these changes,
especially if started early in the menopausal process.
As people become older they may voluntarily or involuntarily decrease
their physical activity, because they may have problems with their
circulation, their equilibrium, muscle movement, or with their ability to
think and plan.
Bobbi http://www.plauder-smilies.de/chicken.gif Chicks Rule!
Here's an excerpt from an article on the web dealing with this subject:
This decrease is due (for a great part) to the decrease in muscle tissue that
accompanies aging. If a person loses muscle mass, but continues to eat at
the same rate as before, the food will be converted into fat tissue. Fat
tissue has a much lower metabolic rate than muscle tissue, so the person's
body weight may not change (the loss of muscle mass is offset by the
increase in fat mass) but the person's metabolic rate may be lower than
expected for that weight.
The lack of estrogen in post-menopausal women leads to a decrease in
metabolic rate through two mechanisms. The first is a decrease in RMR:
women develop an increase in abdominal fat mass, and a decrease in
muscle mass (the "matronly figure"), which leads to a decrease in RMR.
The second mechanism is a decrease in energy expenditure in physical
activity. Estrogen replacement therapy can counteract these changes,
especially if started early in the menopausal process.
As people become older they may voluntarily or involuntarily decrease
their physical activity, because they may have problems with their
circulation, their equilibrium, muscle movement, or with their ability to
think and plan.
Bobbi http://www.plauder-smilies.de/chicken.gif Chicks Rule!
