Menopause & Weight Gain

The key to the problem of weight gain during menopause is a sinister internal production source of estrogen. During your late 30s and early 40s, levels of the hormone estrogen decline, dropping even more dramatically in later years during menopause. As production slows down at the usual source, the ovaries, the body looks for other sources. Fat cells are another source of estrogen production, so your body is fighting to gain (fat cells) while you are fighting to lose weight by not adding fat cells and not allowing them to grow. This is a tug of war with nature that many people are losing despite their best efforts to eat right and exercise!

Dr. Laura Berman contributing for the Todayshow.com has outlined some
other reasons why women gain weight in their late 30s into their 40s.

Changes in appetite: when we eat, enzymes and hormones help the food break down. If the body is off-balance hormonally feelings of fullness do not register in the brain. During menopause, due to hormone imbalances, the body begins tricking the mind into thinking it needs to eat more.

Changes in metabolism: Estrogen is out of balance causing thyroid levels to go down. Diminished thyroid levels slow down the body’s metabolism.

Stress!: Belly fat is one of the symptoms of lower estrogen levels, along with a change in the overall shape of a woman's body. This can be due to cortisol, the stress hormone. A perimenopausal increase in cortisol creates the harder to lose belly fat that women often gain as they age.

Changes in sleep patterns: Many women start experiencing insomnia or other sleep disturbances as they age as a result of lowered levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. Increased levels of cortisol during menopause can interfere with this sleep hormone. The loss of sleep leads to crankiness and lower levels of energy, making it all the harder to stay active. Furthermore, research has shown that people who get five hours of sleep a night have 15 percent lower levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin and 15 percent higher levels of hunger-increasing ghrelin.

“What’s the point?” mentality: Body image is particularly delicate for women as we start to show the signs of aging and our bodies start to plump in places we didn't expect them to. This depletes our motivation to exercise and improve our feelings about our appearance.

The empty-nest syndrome: Typically, as we reach our 40s to mid 50s, we begin to experience numerous life changes. The kids may be going off to college, or just become more independent and want to be by themselves. Women have to adjust to not filling the same role in their families and may turn to food as a form of comfort or due to boredom.

Dr Berman emphasizes that despite this negative mentality, research has found that after just one workout, a woman’s body image can improve. Getting active even for a short amount of time can boost feelings of confidence and happiness. Women should try to get active at least 20 minutes every day, even if it is just a short walk around the block. Another bonus is that increased levels of activity may also help you to sleep better at night.