What is a major contributor to increased body fat with aging?

As individuals age, one of the significant changes that occurs is a decrease in metabolism, which is the rate at which the body burns calories. With declining metabolism, the body becomes less efficient at utilizing energy, leading to an increased likelihood of storing excess calories as fat. This metabolic slowdown can be attributed to various factors, including hormonal changes, loss of muscle mass, and alterations in body composition.

With aging, there is often a reduction in physical activity levels, which can exacerbate the decline in muscle mass. Since muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, a decrease in muscle mass lowers overall energy expenditure. Consequently, without a corresponding adjustment in calorie intake, the balance shifts towards an increase in body fat, making decreased metabolism a major contributor to fat accumulation as people grow older.

Although other factors like exercise habits or diet play crucial roles in overall health, they do not directly correlate to the metabolic changes seen with aging in the same way that decreased metabolism does. Thus, it is primarily the reduction in metabolic rate that stands out as a significant contributor to increased body fat in the aging population.