As age advances, what happens to body weight and lean body mass?

As individuals age, it is common for both body weight and lean body mass to experience a decline. This reduction in body weight can often be attributed to a loss of muscle mass, which is a significant component of lean body mass. As people grow older, physiological changes such as decreased physical activity, hormonal changes, and alterations in nutrition often lead to sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle tissue.

Lean body mass, which includes muscles, bones, and organs, generally diminishes due to these factors. While fat mass can sometimes remain stable or even increase due to metabolic changes, the loss of lean body mass is significant enough to result in a net decrease in overall body weight. Thus, the observation that both body weight and lean body mass decrease with age aligns with current understanding of gerontological nutrition and changes in body composition.

This reflects the importance of maintaining physical activity and proper nutrition in older adults to help mitigate muscle loss and its consequent effects on overall health and body composition.