Is Sarcopenia Inevitable?

Here's a word you're probably unfamiliar with. It's sarcopenia. It's actually a disease. Sarcopenia begins in your 30s. At that age people begin to lose muscle and strength. The average American male can expect to gain an average of one pound of body fat every year between the ages of 30 to 60 and expect to lose about a half pound of muscle each year over the same time period. If you're in your 60s, it gets ever worse as the rise in body fat replaces muscle mass. 

The experts believe that there's nothing you and I can do about sarcopenia as we get older. Huh? Hasn't anyone out there ever exercised? With exercise we can avoid the loss of muscle tissue and strength as we age. Older doesn't necessarily mean sicker. It's possible to avoid premature disability and death. The average American male already possesses a genetic makeup that will allow him to live beyond 85. The key is to make the best of the genes we have so that we can not just live longer but better. True, there's no stopping the aging process. But we can learn to manage it. Every day, the lifestyle choices we make are affecting our health. The time to plan and act is now. 

I know how hard it can be to make behavioral changes for many reasons. But the truth is, it takes far less to prevent disease than it does to treat it. Most doctors are paid to treat -- not prevent -- disease. The insurance industry doesn't reward your physician for being proactive about preventing illness. That said, if your health is not perfect, you are not completely without fault. You must therefore learn how to prevent or reverse the loss of bone and muscle tissue. It's not too late to get with the program. You've got nothing to lose except for all those extra pounds you're carrying around!