Keeping the Pounds Off

For ThirdAgers, adding on a few pounds a year can be trouble. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looks at 40,000 women ages 47 to 71, finds a direct link between weight gain and quality of life.

The study divides the women into three groups, those whose weight stayed the same, those who lost 5 pounds or more and those who gained 5 pounds or more. Over four years, the research finds 39 percent of women maintained their weight, 38 percent gained pounds and only 17 percent lost weight.

Results show women who gained weight -- especially those putting on 20 pounds or more -- had a poorer quality of life in terms of their ability to function, their vitality and body pain. The study says those who lost weight had improved abilities all the way around and a better quality of life.

Researchers say the results were the same regardless of age. They explain weight gain also was linked to a decrease in mental health.

Get tips on how to feel younger, thinner and stronger at the ThirdAge Diet & Fitness Center.