Does Increasing Age Always Lead To Higher BMI?
Increasing age is something that everyone must deal with. However, many are wondering whether a growing body mass index (BMI) is also a necessity. While it is true that BMI increases as people get older at the population level, is it a requirement at the individual level?
That’s the topic of this post. It explores why BMI rises and what can be done about it long-term to prevent health decline.
Why BMI Rises
BMI rises as people get older due to decreased muscle mass and slowed metabolism. As the body gets older, the size of the muscles starts to shrink, leading to a slower metabolism, more inflammation, and a host of additional side effects.
For autistic individuals, maintaining a healthy BMI can be even more challenging. Studies suggest that autism is associated with a higher likelihood of being in non-healthy weight categories, often due to factors such as sensory sensitivities, food preferences, and difficulties with structured exercise routines.
While BMI rising isn’t true for everyone, it is something that affects a vast proportion of the country by age 50. Often, it requires an active effort to keep BMI within medically recommended bounds.
What Drives Rising BMI and What Can Be Done About It?
Several factors drive rising BMI as people get older. Some of these have to do with the environment, but not all of them.
Lifestyle Choices
The biggest factor is lifestyle choices. How people live their lives affects the amount their BMI rises. For example, healthy eating and regular physical activity can reduce the metabolic effects of aging. Meanwhile, centering the diet around processed foods can do the opposite.
For individuals on the autism spectrum, creating sustainable, tailored lifestyle interventions can help. This might include introducing sensory-friendly exercise routines or identifying foods that balance nutritional needs with sensory preferences.
Hormonal Changes
Another issue is hormonal changes. These can be more challenging to counter because they come from deeper underlying processes. For example, women’s BMI can increase during menopause because of changes in how the body processes food.
To some extent, these effects can be countered by metabolics products and lifestyle interventions. However, because they are hormonal in nature, it is hard to avoid or reverse them fully.
Muscle Mass Reduction
Muscle mass reduction is a major contributing factor to higher BMI with age. The body has a nasty habit of shedding lean tissue as people get older, replacing it with fat mass instead. This then accumulates throughout the midsection and on the hump of the back.
The solution to this is to simply include more resistance training and exercise in your daily routine. For autistic adults, incorporating physical activity that aligns with their unique strengths and interests can provide both physical and mental health benefits.
Genetics
Lastly, there is a genetic component to all of this. While it is not substantial, some people are more prone to an increase in BMI than others. Often, this can be healthy, as long as you pair it with lifestyle interventions, like adding more whole foods to your diet.
Understanding these connections can help people—including those on the autism spectrum—take proactive steps to manage BMI and support long-term health.
*this is a collaborative post
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
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