Your fat changes its function as you age. AS infants, a good portion of our fat is brown fat which burns calories and produces Heat to keep us warm.  As we age, the proportion of brown fat decreases and white fat increases.

Fat changes function in our teenage years. Fat levels play a key role in sexual maturation. If we do not have the proper level of fat in our teen years, sexual development is delayed.  Fat as we age begins to increase as the production of the three sex hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone begin to decrease. The reduction in these three hormones leads to Fat developing in areas of the body it wasn't present in before. In men, it begins to accumulate in the belly, the lower back and the nape of the neck. In women fat settles in the belly, thighs, buttocks and breasts. As we age we typically get heavier and heavier due to decreased hormonal levels in our bodies. Many people who were thin since childhood suddenly begin to struggle with weight. As our hormone levels decrease our bodies are burning less fat tissue because the decreased hormone levels fail to provide signals to our cells to burn fat and result in weight gain.

The middle age hormonal transition is experienced by many people. The Story Goes “I was slim for most of my life,” yet when I hit middle-aged I began putting on weight rapidly.

We do not have to surrender to fat as we age. An Important step to take is to have your hormone levels evaluated with blood testing. Hormone replacement therapy can serve as a vital tool to help replenish your depleted hormones. Many patients complain about the same things, such as weight gain, depression, anxiety and lack of energy. The answer isn't antidepressants and sleeping pills. The answer is getting to the root cause of the problem which is hormonal imbalance. By evaluating your hormonal level and supplementing your body with bioidentical hormones you can reverse this aging process. Adding hormones to your body can make you feel better and give you the energy to exercise. When you feel better you're able to maintain an exercise program and have the energy to prepare healthy meals. Increased exercise activity will help to naturally start balancing your hormone levels. Once you achieve your goal weight and start to feel yourself again we will continue to monitor your hormones.   Many times your hormone replacement dosage will be decreased. In some instance with a healthy diet and exercise your hormone levels will improve significantly. 

 Hormone replacement therapy can reduce feeling sluggish and help increase your energy level so exercise feels good again. Exercise does not have to be painful to benefit you. You can accomplish weight training with as little as two 20-minute sessions a week. Cardiovascular training does not have to be a marathon. You can accomplish your cardiovascular training in as little as 30 minutes a day. The Rx diet program includes exercise programs that are easy to follow.

We are not doomed to obesity and metabolic disease as we age. There are measures we can take to manage our fat. Besides a healthy diet and exercise getting your hormone levels evaluated is an important step to a healthier you.