Weight gain in women during menopause is very common. Many factors cause it, including hormonal changes, aging, lifestyle, and genetics.
Still, going through menopause is very personal and varies from woman to woman, This article will explain the reasons behind weight gain during menopause.
A Woman's Reproductive Life Cycle
There are four stages in a woman's reproductive life. They change based on the hormonal shifts in each stage. These four stages include the following:-
1. Reproductive stage
The reproductive stage refers to a woman's fertile years, starting from puberty when she gets her first period until her last period.
This stage can last about 30 to 40 years.
2. Perimenopause stage
Perimenopause literally means the time when estrogen hormone levels become irregular and drop Progesterone Hormone Levels.
A woman's perimenopause phase can start anytime between mid-30s and early 50s, but usually happens in the 40s and lasts 4 to 11 years.
There are many symptoms of perimenopause, including:
- Changes in menstrual cycle.
- Hot flashes, and heat intolerance.
- Headache attacks.
- Mood swings And irritation.
- Depression.
- Disorders Sleep.
- Anxiety.
- Weight gain.
3. Menopause Stage
Menopause officially happens when a woman stops having periods for 12 straight months. The average age for menopause is 51 years. Until then, every woman is considered to be in the premenopausal phase.
Many women can suffer severe symptoms during perimenopause, but some may find symptoms worse in the first year or two after menopause.
4. Postmenopause Stage
Menopause stage starts after 12 months without a period. Menopause and postmenopause are often used interchangeably, but some hormonal and physical changes can still happen after menopause.
How Hormonal Changes Affect Metabolism
During perimenopause many hormonal changes happen that affect the body's metabolism (metabolism), where progesterone levels slowly and steadily drop, while estrogen levels can vary a lot day to day and even within the same day.
In early perimenopause the ovaries often produce very high amounts of estrogen because of weak nerve signals between the ovaries, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland.
Then later in the premenopause phase, when periods get more irregular, the ovaries produce very small amounts of estrogen, and then less during menopause.
Some studies say high estrogen levels might boost body fat gain. Higher estrogen links to weight gain during reproductive years (from puberty to premenopause). Women tend to store fat in hips and thighs as subcutaneous fat, which is hard to lose but doesn't raise disease risk much.
During menopause, lower estrogen levels cause more fat to store in the belly as visceral fat. This type links to diseases like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and other health issues.
Weight changes during premenopause
Estimates say women gain about 1 to 2 kg during premenopause. Weight gain rates may be higher for women who already have overweight or obesity.
Also, weight gain can happen due to aging, apart from hormone changes. Researchers found no difference in average weight gain between women with regular periods and those who reached menopause.
The study also found middle-aged women during premenopause gained belly fat and lost muscle mass.
Also, there’s another factor that adds to weight gain before menopause, which is an increase in appetite and eating more calories which happens as a response to hormonal changes during that time.
A study found that the hunger hormone (ghrelin) levels are significantly higher in women before menopause compared to women in reproductive stages and after menopause.
Also, lower estrogen levels in late menopause weaken leptin and neuropeptide Y hormones, which control fullness and appetite. This can lead many women then to eat more calories, causing weight gain or obesity.
Weight changes during and after menopause
Hormonal changes and weight gain may keep happening as women move from premenopause to menopause.
Also, many other factors can add to weight gain after menopause. Women tend to be less active than when they were younger. This lowers energy use, causes muscle loss, and leads to weight gain.
Women in menopause often have high insulin levels and insulin resistance, which causes weight gain and higher heart disease risk. Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to reduce belly fat and improve insulin sensitivity during and after menopause.
How to prevent weight gain during menopause
Though weight gain varies between women, some things can help prevent it during menopause, which include:-
- Cut down carbs
You should reduce intake of carbohydrates to lower belly fat gain, which causes metabolism problems.
- Add fiber
Eating a diet rich infiber like Flax seeds, which might improve insulin sensitivity.
- Doing exercise
Start strength training to improve body composition, increase strength, build and keep lean muscles.
- Rest and relaxation
Women should relax especially before sleeping and get enough sleep to control hormones and appetite well.
At the end, menopause can be a physical and emotional challenge, but eating healthy, exercising enough, and resting well can help prevent weight gain and lower disease risks.
