Sex Change Worms Get Middle Aged Spread

A scientist studying the life cycles of tiny hermaphrodite nematode worms has discovered that the creatures' muscles naturally deteriorate, as they enter middle age.

"Once the first flush of youth of youth is over, the worms experience the same flabby, weakened muscles that afflict most people in the 40s and 50s," the Telegraph revealed.

According to the researchers (from New Jersey's Rutgers State University) the worms' genetic simplicity and average 4 week life-spans make them ideal candidates for extrapolating about human trends, though whether the creatures simply slob out as they get older, remains unclear.

Other researchers, however, are currently carrying out dieting tests on the same breed of worms, since "caloric restriction has been shown to extend life span in both yeast and mice."
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