Beer Belly Blues: What Every Aging Man Needs to Know

The actual subtitle of Beer Belly Blues is "'What Every Aging Man And the Woman in His Life Need to Know." Yes, this is a book written by a straight man for straight men. But, like other generalized information for a sex (Our Bodies Ourselves, for starters), this informative, witty and incisive book contains plenty of useful information.

The author, Brad King, uses a character named Fred to introduce each chapter. Fred is obviously a fictionalized version of King. The poor shlub has lost his wife, his looks, his energy, his sexual desire, his self-esteem and his health. In this he resembles many, if not most, American men in their 50s.

Everyone faces a Frostian road divergence in his life: At some point, a man either takes his personal road to Damascus, realizes the error of his ways, and, in varying degrees becomes a diet-and-fitness buff (or fanatic). Or he keeps going along the way he has been and faces late middle and old age (if he lasts that long) in a continual state of decay and decrepitude.

Fred is facing a 25-year-high-school reunion. That, and the loss of his job and his wife, give him the proverbial middle-aged crisis. He hires a nutritionist, goes to a personal trainer, visits various doctors and clinics. In short, he does everything short of waxing off his body hair.

The story may be corny, but it's an effective way for King to introduce each delicate subject without intimidating the reader. If I didn't quite identify with Fred, I certainly felt sorry for him and was rooting for him.

King has some interesting things to say, and he very definitely has a point of view. His main contention is that lack of testosterone is the single greatest cause of problems in aging men. Men in their 40s and 50s lose a large percentage of testosterone, the key element in male sexual reproductive function.

While he doesn't advocate for taking steroids, he does believe in conventional testosterone replacement therapies for nearly all men. I suspect that in the future, men will take these supplements as routinely as estrogen is prescribed to postmenopausal women.

King also advocates for a range of other supplements. I ran out and bought one of them, maca, which only grows in the high parts of Peru. King (as well as others) claims that it improves sexual function. I haven't noticed anything different but, well, every little bit helps.

King is big on going to the gym, but doing basic exercises for the large muscle groups. I have to disagree with him here. Having been a gym rat for several decades, I have found that an integrated workout combining stretching classes such as Pilates and yoga, intense aerobics classes, conditioning classes, and a broad spectrum of training across all muscle groups is the best way.

Of course, that's about five days a week (I try, I try), and King doesn't want to scare away the reader. But all of his advice is sound and I like the fact that he has a point of view.

I know way too many men who have simply given up on being fit and feeling good. Arthritis, high blood pressure, fractured knees, hip replacements ... these are all inevitable as we age. Bullshit! And don't give me the genetics argument, either. Your ancestors didn't have enormous guts or need electric walkers.

King's book is excellent guide for men who have turned 40, 50 or even 60 and need some guidance in how to proceed to live the next 50 years.