after the age of 50

Dieting should be important for people of all ages. However for the older generation, it is a necessity. And dieting after age 50 is of paramount importance. There are many who believe that burning calories depends entirely on getting enough exercise. But facts reveal otherwise. Exercise or physical activity uses only 25 to 35 percent of the calories. 5 to 10 percent go towards processing the food we eat and the rest 60 to 65 percent of calories go towards the basal metabolic rate (BMR) i.e. the energy required to keep you alive even while you are sleeping.

With age the human body needs less and less energy to sustain activities. BMR slows down, and because of this, fewer calories are burned. Other physical changes accompany it, like loss in muscle mass, declining strength and aerobic capacity. Thus, if your diet still contains the ingredients of earlier years, then you are in for trouble. Dieting after age 50 is a very tricky thing. You must take enough proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates to give you the necessary energy, but also not overdo it. Remember, after you hit the magical 50, your body needs 5 percent fewer calories with each passing decade.