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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2021)
8 Wednesday, September 8, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Fit For Sisters Andrew Loscutoff Columnist Research review: Metabolism and aging S p o i l e r a l e r t ! Yo u r metabolism isn9t getting slower. If there9s one thing this fitness and nutrition profes- sional has heard time and time again, it9s the com- mon thought that metabo- lism slows down with age. A person gets older, and they begin to gain weight, though they are eating less. They have more body fat, but are busily doing out- door work and recreational activities like hiking and golfing. Contrary to popular opin- ion, new research shows that our metabolism doesn9t slow down with aging; in fact, it really doesn9t change. This research provides a very good explanation as to why someone is gaining weight, by revealing the true rela- tionship between metabo- lism and aging. Metabolism is the rate at which a person9s body burns calories. It9s tied to gender, body composition, organs, and the basic life support of heart, brain, and lungs working tirelessly in the background. It varies from person to person but there9s not as much vari- ability across the board. These calories account for 50-70 percent of the daily calories a person eats. Metabolism doesn9t include calories from activity, mov- ing, thinking, or other func- tions other than basic life support. A study from Pennington Biomedical featured an international team assess- ing 6,600 participants rang- ing from infants to 95-year- olds, from 29 different countries. They studied the average amount of calories people used and controlled for variables. The results: Metabolism remained the same from ages 20-60; thereafter, there is around a 0.7 percent decrease Get health insurance.. health insurance open enrollment is now! Individual & Family Health Plans Jonie Peck — Owner & Agent 503-807-2148 in Sisters sapphiremoonhealthinsurance.com SAPPHIRE MOON HEALTH INSURANCE Just Arrived! NEW YARNS FROM Berroco CHECK OUT OUR NEW FALL SEWING AND QUILTING WORKSHOPS! year to year. Where does this leave the lamenting agers who swear they have a <slow metabolism=? It9s not actu- ally metabolism to blame. In fact, unless a person is doing exercise to preserve muscle mass, after the age of 40 one begins to decline. Without this muscle mass, we aren9t requiring as many calories. Also, as we age we9re likely moving about less. A mother, while raising kids, likely did more on her feet than as an empty-nester. There was once a calorie expenditure that is not pres- ent in her current status. This leaves the aging person with less activity and less muscle mass. If they are eating just as much as always, they will gain body fat. This will be argued with statements like, <I garden, walk the dogs, and clean up all the time.= While this may be true, a person with less muscle mass still needs less calories. Before giving up to the <metabolism= woes, think of how we really age, and how behavioral change actually drives the mecha- nism. There is now research to prove this, and it9s all the better reason to begin a diet and exercise overhaul before it gets too dire. School’s in! PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG Megan Kapp, a third-grade teacher, chatted with a family during a Tuesday, August 31, meet-and- greet outside the portable classroom that was installed this summer for added space at the elementary school. School began Tuesday, September 7, in Sisters. Bring your snowblower and chainsaw in for pre-season tune-ups and servicing! ANDEND-OF-SEASON OF-SEASON SERVICEFOR CEFOR Mowers wers ractors Lawn Tractors mers Trimmers wers Blowers 541-549-9631 541-5 54 9 -9 96 3 1 WBarclayDrSisters W B l D Si Mon-Fri: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. www.sistersrental.com