Somatopause: Prevention

To prevent somatopause, that is, to delay its onset, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

Diet
- Excessive fat and carbohydrate intake with associated elevation of blood lipids (blood fat levels).
Consumption of stimulants
- Alcohol – (woman: > 20 g/day; man: > 30 g/day).
Physical activity
- Physical inactivity
Psycho-social situation
- Anxiety
- Emotional disturbances
- Stress – acute stress stimulates growth hormone; chronic stress, on the other hand, leads to suppression
Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity) – especially with android body fat distribution.
Android body fat distribution, that is, abdominal/visceral, truncal, central body fat (apple type) – there is a high waist circumference or increased waist-to-hip ratio (THQ; waist-to-hip ratio (WHR))When measuring waist circumference according to the International Diabetes Federation guideline (IDF, 2005), the following standard values apply:
- Men < 94 cm
- Women < 80 cm
The German Obesity Society published somewhat more moderate figures for waist circumference in 2006: < 102 cm for men and < 88 cm for women.

Medication