Do you dread middle age spread? Your answer to this question probably depends on two things: your age and your current waistline.

I’d say that if you’re in your 20’s and don’t have a weight problem, then you have no idea what I’m talking about. I was the same way. When I was in my 20’s, I was more concerned about not weighing enough. I had a high metabolism and could eat pretty much anything without gaining any weight. Yes, people envied me and commented all the time that they wished they could eat like me. So when my Dad talked about middle age spread, I couldn’t even begin to imagine that such a thing would be an issue for me.

Then I entered my 30’s. I could still eat a lot and really didn’t look like I ever needed to lose weight. But slowly I started to notice that when I ate a lot, I would get full. I would feel a bit sluggish for a while. I noticed that my face was starting to fill out a little more. I noticed I wasn’t underweight anymore. I thought I was looking pretty good. But in the back of my mind, my Dad’s words started to haunt me, “I was skinny just like you, but soon middle age spread is going to get you.” Then a sinister laugh would echo inside my head.

And then I turned 40. My lifestyle didn’t change. I was still eating well. I worked in an office setting, sitting in front of the computer all day. The kitchen was overflowing with free snacks. Then one day I looked down at my belly, and to my horror, I had this thought: “Will they ask me to play Santa at this year’s Christmas party?”

My Dad was right. Middle age spread had struck me like a plague. What was I to do?

If a bigger waistline was the only problem, then maybe I would have just taken it all in stride. But for my Dad, middle age spread was accompanied by adult onset diabetes (or Type 2 diabetes). So when I started to see middle age spread affect me, I suddenly became more conscious of my eating habits and my blood sugar level. This is when I encountered the Glycemic Index.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measurement on a scale of 1 to 100 of how quickly the blood absorbs glucose from different foods containing carbohydrates. In general, the higher the GI the more quickly the carbohydrates are converted into glucose. This in turn causes a spike in the body’s insulin. Over time this could lead to a variety of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes.

The Glycemic Index was developed to help diabetics stay healthier by understanding how certain foods affected their blood sugar levels. As more research developed, the GI has turned out to be a great way for learning how to eat healthy and to lose weight.

So if you’ve recently noticed that your midsection has been expanding, and you want to avoid major health problems like diabetes and heart disease, then I strongly recommend learning more about the Glycemic Index. Take control of that middle age spread before it take control of you.

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