Joan had never experienced a weight problem in her life - until now.  Over her forty-five years of life, she had often times heard of the expression, "middle age spread," and it appeared that the spread had landed.

Larger hips, larger thighs - that typical middle age spread.  Joan wondered what could possibly have caused such a thing, as her diet remained basically the same. 

If Joan's problem sounds a bit familiar, here are a few weight maintenance tips that might just cure your middle age spread:

What causes middle age spread?

- A decline in physical activity.

- A the body ages, it is not as fast, strong or efficient as it was in its hay-day.

- The metabolism also slows with age.

- As the body ages, it experiences hormonal changes which may attribute to weight gain.

How can middle age spread be controlled or discouraged?

- As the body ages, it is not always advantageous to increase activity due to the current health state of the individual.  But for those adults who are able to lead a 'normal' life, increasing activity can bring about many health rewards, including a longer life.

- Examining the daily diet may prove beneficial in weeding out weight offenders.

- The family doctor may also provide useful information and suggestions based on individual health.

If you are experiencing middle age spread, keep in mind that it's not always a losing battle.  Remember the tortoise and the hare?  Slow and steady wins the Weight Loss Race!