Are there common areas of weight gain in men’s and women’s bodies as they age?

Yes. There are common areas of weight gain in men’s and women’s bodies as they age. Women mostly tend to gain weight in the area of their hips and thighs. In contrast, men gain weight in their midsection as belly fat. Experts don’t fully understand the reason for this difference but hormones are likely to play a role. 

However, diet and exercise habits can play a significant role in a person’s weight changes over their lifetime.

The changes in total body weight vary for men and women. Due to the drop in levels of testosterone, men often gain weight until about age 55, and then begin to lose weight later in life. However, women usually gain weight until age 65 and begin to lose weight. Mostly, the reason for weight loss in senior years is sarcopenia (age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength). 

Women also have a higher percentage of body fat. The healthy body fat range for women is 20-25%, while it’s 10-15% for men. So even in the healthy body fat levels, men and women are different. 

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