Q: Is it normal for a person to have a harder time losing weight as they grow older?

A: Yes. As we get older, it does become more difficult to lose weight. The amount of calories burned by your body depends on the amount of physical activity you do and your body’s underlying metabolic rate, both of which tend to decrease with age. The one thing you can do to maintain your metabolic rate is weight training. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.

Dr. Brent Ridge is the health expert for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You can call and ask him a question live every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 112 (1.866.675.6675). You can also follow along as he learns to grow his own food and raise goats on his farm in upstate New York by visiting www.beekman1802.com.

Got a health question for Dr. Brent? E-mail him at drbrent@care2.com.