A good way to avoid weight gain as you age? Eat.

Research shows that people who eat meals regularly throughout the day tend to have smaller waists than people who sometimes skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Get Regular
Regular eaters not only weigh less and have smaller waists but also are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome or experience insulin resistance -- conditions that can pave the way for heart disease and diabetes. Use this tool to find out the ideal weight and waist size for someone your height and gender.

Plan for More
An even better plan? Eat many small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. This helps keep your appetite from getting out of control, so you eat less overall throughout the day. Find out how to turn three meals into six.

Anti-Meal-Skipper Recipe
Are you typically too time-pressed to eat breakfast? Make these simple, scrumptious muffins this weekend so you’ll have an easy grab-and-go option during the week: Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins.

Find out about the cluster of risk factors that makes up metabolic syndrome -- and if you might have them.

Tips from the RealAge Community