It’s a common belief that losing weight can make you look and feel younger. The vibrant glow from a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and a nutrient-rich diet, can seemingly turn back the clock. But is there more to it than just a superficial change? Can weight loss, particularly through methods like bariatric surgery or dietary changes, actually reverse the signs of aging at a deeper level? Emerging research suggests the answer is a resounding yes.
The Science of Aging: More Than Just Wrinkles
Before diving into the specifics of weight loss and its impact on aging, it's important to understand the aging process itself. Aging is a complex phenomenon involving the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage, leading to reduced function and, ultimately, death. While chronological age is a standard measure, it doesn't fully capture the heterogeneity among individuals. Biological age, on the other hand, attempts to characterize aging more accurately by using biomarkers that represent the aging process itself, rather than just chronic disease.
Body Composition Changes with Age
As we age, our bodies undergo several changes in composition. After age 30, lean tissue, including muscles and organs, tends to decrease, a process called atrophy. Bones may lose minerals and become less dense, potentially leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis. The amount of water in the body also decreases. Conversely, body fat tends to increase steadily after age 30, accumulating around the internal organs. These changes can affect mobility, balance, and overall appearance.
Height Loss: A Visible Sign of Aging
A common sign of aging is a decrease in height. This occurs due to changes in bones, muscles, and joints. The gel-like disks between the vertebrae in the spine dry out and flatten, leading to a shortening of the spaces between the vertebrae. Muscle loss and reduced core strength can result in a stooped posture. Feet may also flatten with age. While some height loss is inevitable, a healthy diet, physical activity, and prevention of bone loss can help minimize it.
Weight Loss Surgery: A Potential Fountain of Youth?
Recent studies have highlighted additional benefits of bariatric surgery, such as vibrant skin and reduced genetic signs of aging.
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Reversing Genetic Signs of Aging
Stanford University researchers have uncovered a link between weight loss surgery and the genetic signs of aging. A study conducted on women over 49 who were considered morbidly obese showed that participants who underwent bariatric surgery experienced a lengthening of telomeres. Telomeres are chromosome caps that shorten as we age. The improvement wasn’t huge, only about two to three percent, but that’s enough to significantly reduce outward signs of aging. The bright eyes, vibrant skin, and greater energy that come with weight loss all help you look and feel younger.
The Broader Health Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery
The Stanford University study highlights how the health benefits of bariatric surgery are closely tied to anti-aging benefits. For example, obesity often leads to pain and strain on weight-bearing joints. Weight loss surgery can alleviate this pain, allowing individuals to become more active and feel younger. One particular weight loss surgery patient, Sherry, used to feel older than she was because joint pain prevented her from playing with her granddaughter. Now, after bariatric surgery, her joint pain is gone, she’s much more active, and she feels like a woman half her age. Sherry’s type 2 diabetes is also gone, and she is able to exercise regularly on a stationary bike.
Calorie Restriction: Slowing Down the Metabolic Clock
Research suggests that reducing calorie intake can provide health benefits to all people regardless of their current health status. Animal studies have shown that restricting calories by 25% can extend life.
The CALERIE Study: A Breakthrough in Human Research
The “big breakthrough” with this study, said biologist John R. Speakman of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, is that it is the first randomized controlled trial of calorie restriction in humans. The level of calorie restriction achieved in the new study was “rather modest compared to that used in rodents and other animals,” he said. Exactly how calorie restriction prevents aging, Speakman said “is the million-dollar question.”
Metabolic Benefits of Calorie Restriction
After just one year on a reduced-calorie diet, study participants saw their metabolic rates drop significantly. The calorie-restrictive diet also caused a reduction in sleeping metabolic rate by about 10%. A slowed metabolism means the body has become more efficient in using fuel - whether from food or oxygen - to derive energy. Every time we generate energy in the body, we generate byproducts. These byproducts of normal metabolism, also called oxygen radicals, accumulate in the body and over time cause damage to cells and organs.
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The Impact of Diet on Epigenetic Aging
A study published in JAMA Network Open examined how different measures of healthy eating affected an “epigenetic clock” - a biochemical test that can approximate both health and lifespan - and found that the better people ate, the younger their cells looked. The diets examined align with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health, and they highlight the potency of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients in particular.
The Role of Added Sugars
The study is one of the first to show a link between added sugar and epigenetic aging, and the first to examine this link in a heterogenous group of women - both Black and white - in midlife. High levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor.
The Epigenetic Nutrient Index (ENI)
Researchers analyzed food records from 342 Black and white women with a mean age of 39 years from Northern California. They scored the women’s diets against a measure they created called the “Epigenetic Nutrient Index (ENI),” which is based on nutrients (not foods) that have been linked to anti-oxidative or anti-inflammatory processes and DNA maintenance and repair. Eliminating 10 grams of added sugar per day is akin to turning back the biological clock by 2.4 months, if sustained over time.
Exercise: A Powerful Tool for Maintaining Youthfulness
Aging is a natural process, but staying active can significantly slow down its effects, helping seniors not only look younger, but feel and function younger as well. Regular exercise not only supports physical and mental health but also enhances appearance by improving skin elasticity, posture, and energy levels.
Improving Skin Elasticity
One of the most visible signs of aging is changes in the skin, such as wrinkles and sagging. However, exercise can actually improve skin elasticity by boosting circulation and stimulating collagen production. Exercise increases blood flow, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells, keeping the skin looking fresh and radiant. It can even help to reduce stress-related skin damage, leading to fewer wrinkles and breakouts.
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Maintaining Muscle Tone and Joint Function
Loss of muscle mass and joint stiffness are common with aging, making mobility more difficult. However, strength training as well as balance and flexibility exercises can help seniors maintain muscle tone and joint function. Strength training helps counteract muscle loss, while yoga and stretching improve flexibility, keeping movements fluid and pain-free.
Boosting Energy Levels
Feeling tired and sluggish is often associated with aging, but exercise and energy levels correspond with each other: regular exercise can provide a natural energy boost. Low-impact aerobic activities like walking, swimming, and cycling improve cardiovascular health, increasing stamina and reducing fatigue. Exercise also enhances mitochondrial function within your cells, allowing the body to produce energy more efficiently.
Improving Posture
Poor posture, which often develops with age, can make individuals look older than they are. Exercise helps by strengthening the core, back, and shoulders to promote better alignment. Good exercises to improve posture include workouts such as yoga and Pilates. These improve spinal health and posture, preventing the hunched appearance often associated with aging. Core-strengthening exercises help to prevent back pain and joint issues.
Maintaining Cognitive Function and Emotional Well-being
A sharp mind is one of the keys to feeling young, and exercise plays a vital role in maintaining cognitive function and emotional well-being. It does this by helping to preserve brain plasticity, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and memory loss. Working out regularly also mitigates the aging effects of stress: endorphins released during exercise act as natural mood boosters, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Strengthening the Cardiovascular System
A strong cardiovascular system is essential for maintaining a youthful appearance and preventing age-related illnesses. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and lowers the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Activities like brisk walking, dancing, and swimming keep the heart in shape, ensuring a steady supply of oxygen to vital organs and skin cells.
Addressing Facial Volume Loss After Weight Loss
While weight loss offers numerous health and anti-aging benefits, it can sometimes lead to facial volume loss, resulting in a more aged appearance.
Understanding Facial Fat Loss
When we are born, we have round, chubby faces. Our cheeks are smooth and plump and there is nary a line to be seen. After our 20’s, we begin to lose fat in our faces. The fat cells shrink, or atrophy and the result is a more aged-looking face. Shadows under the eyes (nasojugal folds), creases next to the nose (nasolabial folds), and wrinkles at the corners of the mouth (marionette lines) all start to appear. Cheeks and temples start to sink.
Counteracting Deflation from Weight Loss
To counteract deflation from weight loss, the face can be re-filled.
- Filler injections - soft, biocompatible substances are placed under the skin to add volume. These can include Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Juvederm Voluma, Radiesse, and Sculptra. Of these, Juvderm Voluma, Perlane and Sculptra last the longest. The procedure consists of an office visit and several pinches from the injections.
- Fat injections - Your own fat is suctioned from one part of your body, like your waist or thighs and it is layered under the skin of the face. The results are not always as predictable as fillers and there is some more downtime- usually 1-2 weeks of swelling and bruising.
Combining Diet and Exercise: A Synergistic Approach to Anti-Aging
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging investigated the effects of diet, exercise, and a combination of both on indices of aging in older adults with obesity.
Study Design and Participants
One-hundred-seven older (age≥65 yrs.) adults with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2) were randomized and 93 completed the study. Participants were divided into four groups: control, diet alone, exercise alone, and diet-exercise in combination. The diet group received a diet that was approximately 500 to 750 kcal below their daily energy requirements. The exercise group attended three exercise sessions per week of approximately 90 min duration. Biological age was computed following the Klemera-Doubal method (KDM).
Key Findings
Diet and diet-exercise decreased KDM biological age more than exercise and control (−2.4±0.4, −2.2±0.3, −0.2±0.4, and 0.2±0.5, respectively, P<0.05 for the between group-differences). Diet and diet-exercise also decreased HD score more than exercise and control (−1.0±0.3, −1.1±0.3, 0.1±0.3, and 0.3±0.3 respectively, P<0.05). Participants in the diet and diet-exercise groups had significantly improved KDM biological age at 12 months compared to participants in the exercise and control groups. Participants in the diet and diet-exercise groups had significantly improved HD scores at 12 months compared to participants in the exercise and control groups. Participants in the diet-exercise group had significantly improved HAI scores at 12 months compared to participants in the control, exercise, and diet groups.
Implications of the Study
Diet and diet-exercise interventions significantly improved KDM biological age and HD score compared to both exercise and control, suggesting that diet and diet-exercise interventions resulting in weight loss are effective measures of improving lifespan in older adults.