.jpg)
Analysis shows that to most women over 50 it
is easy to quickly find that menopause and weight gain are linked in their
experience. Usually it is common to put on weight at this time and although
some of this may be caused by lifestyle changes, it does not explain why
suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body,
especially the abdomen, while any weight gained when we were younger tended to
be centered on the hips.
Hormonal changes do have a part to play in
this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman
stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces
much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the
ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals
and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women
of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store
it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart
disease.
At the same time, both men and women tend
to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows
down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably
find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many
calories as a person of 40.
Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes
prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear
that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some
women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone
therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone
therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in
storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However,
hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some
studies.
If you find that you are gaining weight around the
menopause, there are several things you can do.
- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty
of fiber, avoiding sugar.
- Exercise regularly. The older people get
the more their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less
physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, and we take less
active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical
activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.
- Maintain your muscle strength and mass.
Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.
- Accept the changes to the shape of your
body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer
legs, that is fine.
Consult with your doctor before starting
any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels
are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight
gain.
