When our OG supermodel, Elle Macpherson – now thriving at 60 – admitted falling victim to weight gain in her 50s, it gave the rest of us a little reprieve to know even ‘The Body’ was not exempt from the inevitable middle-aged spread.

Despite being outrageously genetically blessed, with an army of trainers and chefs at her disposal, as the wellness mogul revealed in a very candid interview at the time, everything she’d relied on to stay at the top of her game – including the diet and exercise that had kept her fit for decades – just wasn’t working anymore. 

“I started to put on weight around my waist and hips, which was never a thing before,” the icon, who ruled newsstands in the ’80s and ’90s, said. “I started to feel lethargic. I wasn’t sleeping well. My whole energy just felt heavy.”

While the extra kilos may seem to appear from thin air from your fourth decade onwards, they’re not something we should have to simply put up with, and not merely for aesthetic reasons.

Excess weight can have a profound effect on health and longevity, even when it’s the result of factors out of our control. According to dietitian Dr Linia Patel, a host of things from our 40s onwards can contribute to a thickening waist.

“Our genes, sex, age and hormone levels all affect our individual fat allocation. Whereas women in their 20s and 30s typically have high levels of body fat deposited at the hips, buttocks and breasts, this changes with a decline in oestrogen around menopause,” she explains. “There’s a shift to fat being stored more centrally, around the middle.”

With men, muscle loss plays a key role. “Men have more muscle to lose and if they aren’t proactive about it, their muscle mass is replaced with excess fat mass,” adds Patel. “They also have a general tendency to store fat more centrally.”

The reason all of that matters? “Visceral fat [the fat that surrounds our vital organs] is bad news for men and women because high levels increase your risk of many health conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”

But before you think we’re suggesting living at the gym, here are the food and lifestyle tweaks leading health and wellness experts recommend to get a flatter belly after 50. You’re welcome.

#1 Eat fermented foods like kimchi, yoghurt and miso

In health terms, they’re practically a magic wand for your middle. A new study of more than 115,000 wellness-seekers in their 40s, 50s and 60s found the fermentation process of kimchi – long considered a health hero – releases live bacteria that “have an anti-obesity effect”.

Researchers found eating the pickled veg could help suppress the action of genes linked to weight gain and body fat. Even better? Those who enjoyed one to three daily servings carried significantly less weight around their middle.

While kimchi might be the fermented food of the moment, others – including yoghurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, aged cheeses, miso and tempeh – are also linked with greater weight loss, according to a recent review by a team from the University of Copenhagen.

“It’s much better to get a variety of fermented foods in your diet than to focus on just one type,” says nutritionist and gut health specialist, Eli Brecher. “This will nourish your microbiome and really help with weight management.”

#2 Embrace the superpower of ‘incidental’ exercise

Life-changing news for the gym-phobic: ‘incidental’ exercise – activity that occurs during a typical day, such as household chores, gardening, stair climbing – has been shown to be hugely important in warding off midlife weight gain and improving health.

But don’t just take our word for it. A 2023 study in medical bible The Lancet looked at the incidental physical activity patterns of 25,241 adults aged 42 to 78 who wore fitness trackers, and found that short bouts of this type of activity – for less than 10 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity – were associated with a steep decrease in heart attacks and strokes.

Who knew lugging shopping from the car, a spot of aggressive vacuuming or weeding the nature strip could be a huge health win?

#3 Throw more raw almonds into your meals

And not just for the added crunch in your morning bowl of muesli. “Almonds are packed with fibre, protein and essential fats that may help to reduce the urge to reach for less nutritious options,” according to nutritionist Sophie Bertrand.

Snacking on 10 to 20 almonds (skin on) a day has been shown in research at the University of South Australia to reduce hunger levels so that you’re less inclined to munch mindlessly. 

In a 2021 review of 78 published scientific papers, in the journal Nutrients, researchers reported that almonds were found to be the only nut that helped to achieve a small but significant reduction in body fat and weight. So throw some into your next stir-fry, sprinkle onto salads, add to a DIY trail mix or snack on them solo.

#4 Realise stress can affect your waistline

No, you’re not imagining it. In the ultimate double whammy, stress hormones such as cortisol affect fat distribution by causing it to be stored centrally, around the midriff. 

“There’s little doubt that higher cortisol is linked to higher visceral and visible belly fat,” confirms Patel. Any activity that helps to reduce your stress levels can therefore have an impact on your waistline.

Yoga is helpful for defusing tension and unlocking lasting calm – one study of 60 women with abdominal obesity, by researchers at the University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Duisburg-Essen, showed that twice-weekly 90-minute classes of traditional hatha yoga improved belly fat levels in 12 weeks.

Don’t have time to get to a real-life class? Try your hand at guided breathwork. Hale is a new audio series by Rory Warnock designed to help you tune in to your breath whether you’re on the morning commute, preparing for a big day or unwinding before bed. Volume one is all about staying calm – and it’s free. Simply head to Spotify, grab your headphones and plug in for instant wellness results.

#5 Increase your protein intake and lift weights

It’s the power combination that’s revolutionary for one simple reason: combatting declining muscle mass helps prevent weight gain.

A review of 49 studies on the subject in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found middle-aged men and women who ate more protein while also doing resistance or weight training developed larger and stronger muscles than those whose intake was too low.

“Basing meals around eggs, tuna and milk, or plant-based protein such as beans and lentils, is a great way to get enough,” says Patel.

#6 Have an overnight fast of at least 12 hours

There’s a reason some of the world’s healthiest people fast. Patel says consuming most of your calories earlier in the day is a good move as we age. But you should also factor in a minimum 12-hour overnight fast, which typically means finishing your evening meal early.

“If you eat breakfast at 7am, finish your last meal at 7pm, which also naturally helps to reduce that late-night snacking,” she says. “The lighter the meal you eat at night, the better it is for your waistline, so aim for some protein and plenty of veggies plus go easy on the carbs.”

#7 Eat less red meat, and way more plants

And not just because your heart will thank you for it. A review of evidence in the journal Nutrients showed reducing red meat intake is linked to lower body fat and weight.

You don’t have to go hungry, though. “Replace it with other sources of protein which fill you up,” says Patel. Load up on everything from salmon and chicken to eggs, chickpeas, lentils and edamame.

Another option? A mycoprotein-based meat substitute such as Quorn – a swap shown to trim about one centimetre from the waist within two weeks in a recent study from Northumbria University in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Need more meal inspo? Check out taste.com.au for a whole bank of healthy plant-based recipes so good you won’t even miss the meat.

#8 Breakfast when you feel hungry (and make it porridge)

It’s an age-old question: what’s the best time to eat breakfast? Alexandra Johnstone, professor of nutrition at the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute, says that in terms of your body’s ability to metabolise energy, it makes little difference when you sit down to your first meal of the day.

“Usually breakfast is eaten within three to four hours of getting up, but that’s not a rule,” she says. “Some people find a substantial early breakfast helps them to control their weight, while others don’t.”

The best approach? Eat when you feel hungry and stick to a regular time. And when you do dig in, make it porridge or muesli or overnight oats. Why? Oats contain the soluble fibre, beta-glucan, which can delay the time it takes for your stomach to empty of food, increasing feelings of satiety.

#9 Clock up at least two alcohol-free days

There’s no arguing with the fact alcohol is an enemy to the midlife waistline. Brecher says it may suppress fat-burning – “because we can’t store alcohol, our bodies prioritise its metabolism over absorbing nutrients and burning fat” – and adds nutritionally empty calories.

A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, involving 14 million men and 12 million women, found that men who drank a small glass of wine or quarter pint of beer a day were 10 per cent more prone to obesity, while women who sipped a small glass of wine a day increased the risk by nine per cent.

“But you don’t have to avoid it altogether,” says Patel, as the entire country lets out a collective sigh of relief. “Schedule two non-drinking days each week to reduce the risk of an expanding waistline.”

Still partial to an after-work G&T or glass of vino? Check out some of the best new low- or alcohol-free bevvies on supermarket shelves here.

#10 Eat two to three avocados a week

Chalk another one up for guacamole. Eating more of this superfood could help reduce dangerous visceral fat and total belly fat.

That’s according to nutritionists at the University of Illinois. In the trial, involving 105 men and women, half of the participants added an avo to their diet every day, while the other half ate an otherwise identical diet, minus the avocado, for 12 weeks. Effects were more significant in women, but Brecher says eating more of them can never hurt from a health perspective.

“They’re packed with mono-unsaturated fats, which are associated with increased fat burning, decreased abdominal fat and a lower BMI,” she says. “Eating them two to three times a week would be helpful.” So slice them into salads, add to your next green smoothie or use in place of butter on sandwiches for a heart-healthy lunchtime swap.

#11 Aim for at least seven hours’ sleep a night

Not getting enough sleep not only means you’re more likely to consume calories from the fridge or elsewhere but also makes fat accumulation, especially the unhealthy visceral kind inside the belly, a greater risk. 

A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, by cardiovascular medicine researchers at the Mayo Clinic, showed that participants who were allowed only four hours of sleep – compared with a control group who had nine – experienced a nine per cent increase in belly fat and 11 per cent increase in visceral fat over 21 days.

“Most studies point to seven to nine hours being the optimum for sleep,” says Patel. “And there’s a crossover between getting that amount and avoiding weight gain.”

Having trouble dozing off? Try tuning into one of the Sleep Soundscapes on the Calm app to switch off your brain and block out any surrounding noises that might be keeping you up.

#12 Give tai chi a crack

It looks too slow and graceful to have a meaningful effect on weight loss, but don’t be fooled. Tai chi is surprisingly effective. A 2021 study by scientists at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong showed that regular tai chi could help shrink waistlines.

After three months of following a tai chi program several times a week, participants lost an average of 1.8 centimetres from their middle, compared with 1.3 centimetres lost by those doing a conventional weights and aerobic exercise plan.

“It’s great for those getting started and also good for improving resistance and mobility for anyone,” says trainer Dalton Wong. “It’s also great for stress relief, which is good for the waistline, too.” In other words, this ancient practice is a modern-day wellness win.

#13 Fill up on brown rice, quinoa, spelt, barley and rye

Packing in the wholegrains – including rye, brown rice and barley – is a great way to reduce your midsection. When nutritionists at Tufts University analysed the diets of 3,100 participants – all in their mid-50s when the study started – over 18 years, they discovered that waist circumference increased by an average of 2.5 centimetres in people with a low intake of wholegrains, significantly more than those who piled them on their plates.

“Wholegrains are not only higher in filling fibre than refined counterparts, they also contain the bran and germ, which is where the nutrients are found,” says Brecher. “Another review in Nutrients journal suggested swapping refined carbs for wholegrains helps with weight loss.” Now that’s a nutrition prescription we can get behind.