Wide Load: I’m Afraid of Middle Age Spread
I’m probably never going to have plastic surgery to look younger, but I have to admit I am concerned about a few physical changes that may be down the road for most of us. First, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I am terrified of skin tags. Right now I have a little bump growing next to my right eye, and I’m not happy about it. I also dye my hair to make it more ’salt & pepper’ and less gray. And there is one other thing that, up until now, I’ve never mentioned on this blog: I am terrified of middle-age spread. I’m in pretty good shape, but I saw a friend recently who I hadn’t seen in a while and she had become, well, extremely wide-bodied. I thought to myself, I want to research why that happens. Is it sitting at a desk? If so, then I’m a great candidate for widening. Everything I’ve read has said that weight training to build muscle is the key to slowing down this change. And here’s an interesting fact:
Women with larger stomachs in their 40s are more likely to have dementia when they reach their 70s, suggests a study in the journal Neurology. Further, the study found that those with the highest amount of abdominal fat were nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest amount of abdominal fat.
May 1st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I love these statistics. Just about every woman I know (and a lot of men, too) is in some kind of frenzy about her shape. I refuse to play.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I’m more afraid of gettting one of those “Barrel Bellys” (As I call them) that seem to be fairly common in women who have gone through the change.
(Sorry if this posted twice!)
May 1st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Well, being in a wheelchair, I am not what you would call ’svelte’, the pounds creep up insidiously…and in my case, add to my tummy. I hope to never let it get to me. I feel fine even if a bit ‘rotund’
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:03 am
The last three years I have definitely noticed more middle-age-spread.
And skin tags———I have one near my left eye and one on my neck right now. Must get myself to the doctor. AGAIN!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:36 am
Um, may want to go get the thing near your eye checked – I did and it turned out to be a basel cancer cell – I thought it was some benign little bump. I had MOHS surgery on it – don’t let it go too long!
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 am
Seems like once you hit 40, physically, it’s all downhill. *sigh*
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 am
Get the tag checked and snipped. It’s quick and painless. I had mine done. It’s not all downhill, Jazz. I’ve applied just a couple of the eating techniques shared by Paul McKenna, Britain’s top coach and seen an improvement.
My favorite: Eat what you want and stop when you’re full. Of course, there’s a bit more to it, but honestly, what’s not to like about that!
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
When I was young, I use to joke about a “See Food Diet” — you see food and you eat it. Now I am on another “See Food Diet” — I see food and I gain five pounds.
Since I turned 50 ten years ago, I have been gaining an average of 3 pounds a year. I diet for a month and one dinner out and I gain it right back.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Honey, it happens to the best of us. Pick up a copy of my book, Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age and you’ll read all about my experiences from going from a size 4 to a size…………
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Skin tags are no biggie. More importantly, you should be concerned about melanoma. We all should be concerned about melanoma.
MELANOMA AWARENESS MONTH – May 2008
Early Detection Saves Lives
GOT SKIN? LEARN THESE FACTS
> Melanoma is serious and lethal
> In the U.S. one person dies from melanoma every hour
> People of all skin tones can develop melanoma
> If you’ve got skin there, you can get melanoma there
PROTECT YOURSELF & YOUR FAMILY
> Do not burn – Do not tan
> Use sunscreen – the more the better
> Wear protective clothing including hats with wide brims
> Avoid strong sunlight, especially 10am-3pm
SEE YOUR DOCTOR FOR A SKIN CANCER SCREENING ONCE A YEAR
> Report suspicious moles or skin changes immediately
Need more info?
http://www.melanomaresource.org
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/melanoma
http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/default.htm
May 4th, 2008 at 5:14 am
I didn’t hit the swift downward spiral until age 53, although skin tags on body (checked out by doctors, thank you) started way before then, when pregnant with first child at age 37.
Now I forget what I was talking about in the middle of a sentence. That’s better than forgetting what day or year it is though. Although being an apple as opposed to a pear, my body type will be working against me.
May 6th, 2008 at 5:57 am
I am 62 and had no middle age spread until I somehow let myself quit walking and doing a set of floor exercises each day. I am back to walking three days a week with the goal of walking each day. I know we get tired to hearing it, but in my case, exercise is the key.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I’ve always been thin, until 40 and then I got the middle age “belly”. Haven’t been able to get rid of it for years. However, I still think I look better than I did in high school and when my 40th reunion rolls around, I’m going to strut my stuff. Hey, we’re not getting older, we’re getting better.