Why Skinny Culture is so Harmful to the Female Body
Aging is inevitable. As we age, we see changes in our hormone cycles, changes in weight distribution, and other unpleasant side effects to aging. Today’s culture around being as skinny as possible, extreme fad diets, and weight loss drugs do not support healthy aging, specifically in women. These trends can damage metabolism, decrease muscle mass and overall promote an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise and can set us up for chronic diseases later in life. There is no magic way to reverse aging (unfortunately), however eating the right foods and exercise can help to reduce the risk of chronic disease and some of those annoying side effects of aging.
Why should I care about this now? I am in my 30’s! I am not aging yet!
Actually, changes within the female body happen way before we see any signs of aging. For example, women hit peak bone density around age 30. This means that our bones will be the strongest that they will ever be when we hit 30 years old. Before our 30’s we are increasing our bone density through daily activities and exercise. After age 30, our bone density starts to plateau and/or decrease if there aren’t any preventative measures in place. But why does bone density matter? According to the bone health and osteoporosis foundation one in two women will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Bone fractures in older age have an extremely high mortality rate. But risk of osteoporosis often starts way before we are even considering it. In our 40’s the pre-menopausal changes start. We begin to see changes in the hormone cycle related to the menstrual cycle. Our hormone cycles for the menstrual cycle start in the brain, and in our 40’s we start to see that the receptors for our hormones become more sensitive meaning that more hormone is required to stimulate the receptors. This means that our hormones are all over the place in our 40’s which is why some women may start to see changes in their menstrual cycle at this time. Changes in the menstrual cycle are a sign that estrogen levels in the body are beginning to change.
51 is the average age for menopause to begin in women. With menopause the body slows or stops its production of estrogen. With this drop of estrogen, inflammation within the body increases, we see a redistribution of body fat from the legs and glute area to the stomach and we see a drop in bone density.
So what does diet and exercise have to do with this?
Diet and exercise are the main contributors to overall health as we age. If we are not eating enough to support our body’s everyday function then this decreases metabolism, decreases bone mass and can interrupt hormone cycling within the body. When we don’t eat enough, the body slows down its metabolism to help conserve as much energy as possible. That means that everyday tasks take less energy than they normally would because the body wants to preserve energy. When we aren’t consuming enough, specifically calcium and vitamin D, the body starts to pull calcium from the bone. Calcium levels are tightly regulated within the blood, so if there is not enough calcium consumed in the diet, then calcium is pulled from the bone. This can reduce bone density significantly, even before our 30’s when we reach peak bone density. If we aren’t eating enough, we also can’t build muscle mass. Muscle is the main contributor to the body’s metabolism. So, more muscle mass means a higher metabolism.
But why do I keep talking about metabolism? The body’s metabolism is how much energy it is burning on a daily basis. We want to be in energy balance on a daily basis meaning that we are eating the same amount of calories that we are burning. If we have a lower metabolism, our body requires less energy to function and any excess energy will be stored in the body.
So What Should I Do Now?
Start strength training! The American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training 2 days per week and hitting all major muscle groups at least twice. This means putting strain on the muscle as well, not just doing 15 reps of a light weight. The goal is to have strain on the muscle by the 8th rep. This will help to build muscle mass (it will not make you bulky) and stimulate an increase in bone density.
Eat enough food and a well-balanced diet. You need to be eating enough to support normal body function and exercise. If you are not eating enough to support exercise, then your body will start to break down muscle for energy (having the opposite effect of what you want exercise to do).
Spread out eating throughout the day. One large meal and a few snacks per day is not enough to support body function and can put your body into starvation mode. Try to have 3 meals per day and 1 or 2 snacks. Make sure that you are getting 20 grams of protein at each meal. This will support muscle growth but also just help to support normal body function. Eat fruits and vegetables. Focus on ½ of your plate being fruits and/or vegetables. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals to the body as well as fiber. This helps to support gut health as well as normal body function.
This is a lot! Where should I even start?
Start small. Pick one thing that you think you could change- whether that’s doing a full body strength training routine 1 time per week or eating 2 meals and a few snacks per day or getting 20 grams of protein at each meal. The only person that can know where to start is you. Don’t feel like you have to make a lot of changes at once. Pick one thing and focus on that for a month or two. Once that starts to become normal, add in something else. Take small steps until you reach your end goal. It is never too late to start! Strength training and a well-balanced diet at any age is beneficial! Working with a registered dietitian to help with diet or a personal trainer to help with exercise can also be a place to start. They can help you set goals- both short term and long term- and make progress towards them.