Many men think that "middle-age spread" is an inevitable part of getting older. This is simply not true, and beyond that, adding pounds with years is hazardous to health. A considerable amount of research suggests that abdominal obesity increases the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. A small study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society demonstrates the extent to which regular aerobic exercise can help men stay in shape as they get older.

The 17 middle-aged and older men enrolled in this study walked, cycled, or jogged three times per week for nine months. They started off with moderately paced 30 to 45 minute sessions, and worked up to more intense 45 to 60 minute sessions as they became acclimated to the program. The scientists measured the men's blood insulin levels in response to an oral dose of glucose (sugar) at the start and end of the study.

Nine months of exercise paid off for these study participants. On average, they reduced body fat. They also trimmed their waistlines and lowered their waist-to-hip ratios, reflecting that they had lost abdominal fat. Post-study blood tests showed less insulin secretion in response to the consumption of glucose, meaning that the men were metabolizing glucose more efficiently.

The key message in these results is that regular aerobic exercise helped these men reduce abdominal fat and better manage their bodies' balance of insulin and glucose. Scientists think the two may be related. They suspect that abdominal fat is metabolized differently than fat in other parts of the body, and they speculate that it may contribute to "insulin resistance." This condition, in which the body releases too much insulin in response to high levels of glucose in the bloodstream, is warning symptom of type 2 diabetes.

The results of this study were, in fact, just what researchers expected, given the body of evidence that demonstrates that men who stay fit into middle age utilize insulin more efficiently than their sedentary counterparts.

Men are particularly prone to abdominal obesity, particularly as they approach middle age. This concerns health professionals who work with older clients because of the association with increased risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. But, as this and other studies show, advancing age doesn't have to mean a spreading waistline. Reasonable amounts