Da Kine Star-Bulletin staff and wire services

---

WEIGHT WATCHING
Metabolism slows with aging

Learning to be happy with fewer calories and finding an exercise you love just got more urgent. A study of 627 adults by Laval University in Quebec found that 54-year-olds' basic metabolic rate -- the number of daily calories burned while sitting still -- was 126 less than age-related muscle loss could explain. This translates to a potential 13-pound weight gain per year. As the years add up, your metabolic rate goes down, so focusing on healthy weight maintenance becomes an even bigger priority, the scientists say.