Now that I'm in my 50s, I don't lose weight even when I fast like I used to. Why is that?
As you age, your basal metabolic rate decreases, lowering the efficiency of energy combustion. From a Western medical perspective, this is due to a decline in growth and sex hormones, leading to reduced muscle mass and easier fat accumulation. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this is viewed as a 'decline in function.' When the body's ability to generate energy drops, metabolic waste accumulates, creating a vicious cycle that slows down the metabolism further, making weight loss significantly harder even with the same diet and activity levels.
Many people experience this frustration; whereas in your 20s, skipping a few meals could quickly lighten your body, in your 50s, the same approach often leads to extreme fatigue without significant weight loss.
Biologically, the period around age 50 is marked by drastic hormonal shifts. As hormones responsible for maintaining muscle and breaking down fat decline, the body tends to store energy rather than expend it—essentially, the 'metabolic switch' is turned off.
From the perspective of Traditional Korean Medicine, this condition is analyzed through 'Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛)' and 'Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-eum, 痰飮)'. Spleen Deficiency refers to a weakened digestive and transformative function. When the efficiency of converting nutrients into energy drops, metabolic residues remain in the body. These residues manifest as Dam-eum, which are abnormal accumulations of stagnant body fluids.
If this is coupled with 'Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol, 瘀血)'—where blood circulation is obstructed—the metabolic pathways become even more congested. This creates a detrimental cycle: [Spleen Deficiency → Decreased Energy Efficiency → Accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid and Blood Stasis → Metabolic Stagnation].
Therefore, simply fasting can further damage the already weakened Spleen function, increasing the likelihood of the yo-yo effect. At this stage of life, rather than blindly restricting calories, it is far more important to focus on treatments and management that clear these blocked metabolic pathways and restore internal harmony.
Clinician review