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Improved metabolic health may have helped these women lose weight and become healthier, as that improvement has helped their bodies turn off their fat-storing mode. They also improved metabolic health markers such as LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. These women experienced significantly improved body mass index or BMI ( read our article on BMI to learn why this may not be the most reliable marker) and reduced overall body weight and fat mass. The authors found this diet may benefit more than just menopausal women’s waist circumference. Everyone is different, so work with your nutritionist to find the right ratios for your needs. There were variations in how much each person ate of what. And less than 30 percent of calories from fat.50-60 percent of calories from carbohydrates.Specifically, the macronutrient breakdown was: It included lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, protein, and (of course) good quality olive oil. In this study, they had menopausal women follow the MD, mimicking the diet of people living in Nicotera, a southern Italian town. One study investigated how a Mediterranean diet (MD) would affect weight and other health markers in menopausal women. If it suits you, it may be a good idea to work with a dietitian to incorporate it into your lifestyle. For some, research finds that the Mediterranean diet may be beneficial for managing menopause-related weight gain.

MENOPAUSE CHITCHAT PROFESSIONAL

While we don’t recommend specific diets, you can work with a healthcare professional to find foods that can help you during menopause. If you don’t, you can bring this topic up with your healthcare provider and determine if this would be a beneficial option for you. If you work with a functional medicine doctor, you may know HRT is one option for menopause support. Later re-analysis said the opposite: when done properly and in early menopause, HRT can help with menopausal symptoms and improve cardiovascular health and all-cause mortality. The verdict from early 2000 studies on hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, was that there was more harm than benefits for HRT. And while it’s something you should always discuss with your doctor, it isn’t as black or white as some think. The next logical train of thought would be to wonder whether hormone therapy is the key to managing weight gain during menopause (or preventing it altogether). Here are a few tips to help you out: 1) Consider Hormone Therapy Consider a few tweaks to an already healthy lifestyle, like making dietary changes and getting enough sleep. So, for overall health and wellness, focusing on weight management as you go through these natural changes is a good idea. Unchecked menopause weight gain can impact your health, and excess body mass can cause a range of health issues, including but not limited to:

How Menopausal Weight Gain Affects Women’s HealthĪll that excess weight you’re putting on during menopause can be challenging to deal with emotionally, but there’s more to consider here. While more research is needed on the direct associations between menopause and weight gain, it’s a good idea to spend a little more time on weight management if you do find yourself gaining weight during this time. Like the other study, these researchers found that women on hormone therapy did not experience an increase in waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio. The researchers in this study found that women in menopause had a greater waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio during this period. Again, this suggests that the weight change is hormone-related (for example, due to declining estrogen levels).Īnother study illustrated that it’s not necessarily that menopause leads to general weight gain, but more specifically, abdominal obesity. The authors also conclude that hormone therapy with estrogen and estrogen-progestin may help prevent excess weight gain during menopause. A review of research on menopause and weight gain found that hormonal changes during menopause were associated with increased abdominal fat. It can happen even if you stick to a healthy diet and keep up with physical activity. So you may find that along with the night sweats, mood changes, and other symptoms of menopause, you’re also putting on weight. One main reason is all the hormonal changes that occur during this time, especially with lowered estrogen levels.Īs the North American Menopause Society notes, although menopause may not be directly related to weight gain, it does have associations with changes in body composition and fat distribution.Īs women age, they may start to exercise less, their metabolism slows down, and they’re more prone to issues like wider waistlines and abdominal fat.

During menopause, your body undergoes many changes, and there may be various reasons you may be gaining weight during this time (as well as during perimenopause).

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