Each month we pose questions from the Sun Coast Community to our resident health and beauty expert, Dr. Mark Rosenberg.

In this September edition of "Ask Me Anything," Dr. Rosenberg reveals:

1.  Whether low estrogen in women is to blame for your body's fat burning mode switching off after age 50...

2. The real reason collagen fibers break down when you reach middle age (the reason is not what you may think)...

3. And the truth about 40-minute non-surgical neck lifts that will stop you wanting to get one forever.

Let's get started.

Question 1: "Is it true that lower estrogen is to blame for weight gain after age 50? Is there a way to speed it up?"

This affects practically all my female patients after age 50.

They tell me they eat the same foods they’ve always done. 

Yet the weight keeps creeping up on the scales.

Your fat burning mode, known scientifically as your metabolism, slows down due to several factors:

• Loss of muscle mass – Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even at rest. 

• Hormonal changes – Menopause in women leads to a decrease in estrogen, which means more fat stored in all those problem areas.

• Less physical activity – Reduced physical activity also contributes, as more time sitting down means less time burning fat.

Yet there's another reason for midlife weight gain most dietitians don’t know about.

An enzyme called AMPK getting switched OFF.

AMPK is like your metabolism's ON/OFF switch. 

When it's ON, your body turns carbs and sugars into fuel.

When it’s switched OFF, more carbs and sugars turn into fat instead.

AMPK naturally becomes less active as we age…

Which is why—even if you eat less and exercise more—you may still struggle to lose those clingy pounds.

AMPK being switched OFF is such a widespread (yet little known) problem, the lab team and I dedicated 8 months to finding a solution.

And we developed a technique for switching AMPK ON at meal times.

Your body then naturally burns more of the food you eat as fuel… allowing you to lose as much as 20 pounds without a single extra minute of exercise.

You can find out how it works, and how to try it for yourself, in this article:

→ Pre-Dinner “Metabolic Reset” Tells Your Body to Burn Calories as Fuel

Question 2: "Why does the body's production of collagen decline with age?

Patients ask me this question almost daily.

And the answer to this question is “yes”…

Collagen production DOES decline with age.

The common causes include:

1. Hormonal changes – Declining estrogen levels affect your skin’s ability to make more collagen.

2. Free radicals – They build up over time and munch away at your collagen fibers, causing noticeably more wrinkling by age 40.

3. Lack of collagen in your diet – While your skin produces collagen on its own, you need to fill the gaps by adding more collagen to your diet.

These factors all contribute to declining collagen and saggier, more crepey looking skin as we age.

Yet here's what few dermatologists realize…

Another major cause of collagen decline is DEHYDRATION.

See, as your skin naturally becomes drier and more dehydrated, your collagen fibers become dehydrated too.

Then, like fraying pieces of rope, your collagen fibers eventually SNAP.

Thankfully, there is a “delicious” way to rehydrate your collagen fibers…

So they become stronger, plumper, and more resilient—making your skin look smoother and tighter on the surface.

You can find out how it works in this video:

→ Drink THIS to restore your collagen fibers from head to toe

Question 3: "I've heard you can get non-surgical 'neck lifts' at medspas in as little as 40 minutes. Should I try one?"

I’ve received tons of emails about this from readers.

Because the rumors are true: you CAN get a non-surgical neck lift in as little as 40 minutes.

These procedures aim to improve elasticity, tighten and tone the neck skin, and reduce the appearance of saggy neck skin.

Common techniques used in medspas include:

• Ultrasound therapy

• Radiofrequency therapy

• Microcurrent facials using low-level electricity

I totally get the appeal of a non-surgical neck lift.

It’s quick, no scarring, and relatively painless.

However, before you rush off to book an appointment...

You need to know that:

X These treatments often require multiple sessions, costing thousands of dollars. 

X The effects won’t be as dramatic or long-lasting as invasive surgery.

X The results are only temporary. You have to continue returning for touch-ups.

Due to all these downsides, there’s another non-surgical neck lift technique I recommend to patients.

What it does is target the underlying cause of saggy jowls, turkey neck, and crepey looking neck skin…

You won’t feel a single pinprick (most women find it pleasurable)...

And you can see results in as little as 5 mins.

I provide a quick demonstration of how to do it at home in this video:

→How to enjoy a younger looking neck in 5 minutes flat

Have Any Health or Beauty Questions Of Your Own?

That wraps up another edition of 'Ask Me Anything'.

As always, if you have any burning questions about health, beauty, longevity or anything you think Dr. Rosenberg could help with...

Please send us an email and we'll let him know!

Dr. Rosenberg loves reading your questions and sharing his answers each month.

There are only so many patients he can see in his clinic.

But through this blog, he can reach millions...

And help even more people on their path to feeling and looking their best at any age.