Does menopause cause weight gain?

The weight gain is incredibly common in menopause, ranging from 1 to 10 pounds per year during the menopausic transition. Several factors contribute to menopausic weight gain, including hormonal changes, altered metabolism and lifestyle choices.

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How does menopause cause weight gain?

Slowdown in metabolism

The estrogen levels decrease considerably during menopause. The loss of estrogen (a sex hormone) can lead to a slower metabolism, which burns the body to burn fewer calories at rest (just to maintain the functions of the basic body).

A slower metabolism can also lead to a person who burns fewer calories during physical activity, so even if people continue at a similar level of exercise, they can always undergo a certain weight gain.

A slow metabolism can also cause weight gain because a person’s diet before menopause would not be burned for energy in the same way during menopause.

Hunger hormones

Estrogens also play a role in hunger signals because of its effect on hunger hormones. When estrogen levels drop, hormonal leptin, which says to the body when it has enough to eat, decreases, while the hormone that tells the body that it is hungry, the Ghrelin, increases. This leads to deregulation, which can lead to overeating.

Fat storage

Estrogens also influence the way the body stores fat, so when a person has fewer hormones to help regulate this process, their fat reserves can change. For example, if someone’s body composition before menopause has them stored a large part of their fat in their thighs, this can change for their abdomen once the menopause strikes.

How do lifestyle factors affect the weight gain of menopause?

Physical exercise

As people age, they are less likely to engage in the same level of physical activity as they did once. When hormones drop and metabolism slows down, less exercise can have harmful effects on weight management.

Physical activity probably decreases with age for several reasons, including:

• Lack of energy and fatigue
• Physical limitations, such as disability, chronic diseases or pain
• Lack of motivation
• Time constraints
• Fear of being “too old” to exercise
• Fear of effort that would be harmful or would cause pain or fall

When physical activity decreases, the effects of hormonal changes can be amplified during menopause, which causes additional weight gain.

Diet

Diet changes can also contribute to weight gain during menopause. If a person eats more or eat less healthy food due to an increase in the hunger hormone of the Ghrelin, they will undergo weight gain.

Sleep

Sleep is also a significant factor associated with weight gain during menopause. Symptoms that develop during menopause (such as heat puffs) can disturb sleep.

People passing through menopause are also more likely to develop sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops several times during sleep, affecting the ability of a person to sleep adequate.

When someone does not have enough sleep, endocannabinoid rates of their body, which are molecules that play a role in the brain signaling, can change. This leads to deregulation in chemicals that regulate appetite and the brain reward system. A person may have increased hunger or desires for unhealthy food.

Stress

Being very stressed during menopause can considerably increase weight gain. High levels of stress or chronic stress lead to an increase in cortisol of the stress hormone. When cortisol is high, this can cause supercharging and desires of foods rich in calories, sugar or fat. Cortisol can also dysreregler dysrewing hormone production, negatively affecting hunger hormones.

What potential risks are associated with menopausic weight gain?

If a person takes a lot of weight during menopause, they endanger themselves to develop various chronic health problems, such as:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Vascular disease (blood vessel)
• Insulin resistance (cells do not respond to insulin as well, which attracts blood sugar into cells)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and osteoporosis (progressive bone loss)
• Increased risk of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression
• Some types of cancer

How can you prevent and manage menopausic weight gain?

Hormonal changes during menopause are inevitable, but substitute hormone therapy can help restore estrogen levels to alleviate the effects of estrogen loss. Research shows that starting early hormone therapy can interrupt weight gain during menopause.

Other ways that a person can avoid gaining weight during the menopausic transition include:

Main to remember

• Weight gain in menopause is caused by hormonal fluctuations, a slowdown in metabolism and changes in fat storage.
• Menopausic weight gain can increase health risks.
• It is not easy to lose weight during menopause, but speaking with a health care provider can help you establish realistic weight gain and weight management objectives that can help you avoid harmful complications.