Menopause and weight – Better Health Channel

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Summary

Read the full fact sheet

• At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.
• Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
• Treatment options include a healthy diet, regular exercise, strength training and menopausal hormone therapy.
• See your doctor for information and guidance if you haven’t exercised in some time.

What is menopause?

Menopause is your final period. You know you’ve reached menopause if you have not had your period for 12 months.

Many women think that gaining weight is part of menopause. But it’s more likely due to ageing and lifestyle changes.

Causes of weight gain in midlife

Ageing

On average, women aged between 45 and 55 years gain around half a kilo per year. As you get older, you lose muscle mass, which slows your metabolism and causes weight gain. So if your diet doesn’t change, you are likely to gain weight.

Oestrogen and fat distribution

Reduced levels of oestrogen after menopause can cause fat to be stored around your waist rather than on your hips and thighs. In postmenopausal women, belly fat accounts for 15 to 20% of their total body weight, compared with 5 to 8% in premenopausal women.

Menopausal symptoms

Menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes, poor sleep or low mood) can make it harder to exercise and eat healthy food, which may contribute to weight gain.

Life pressures

Around the time of menopause, different life pressures can make it hard to put your health first. For example, work pressures or caring for elderly parents.

Risks associated with belly fat

Fat stored around your belly is known as ‘visceral fat’. This type of fat is unhealthy as it is linked to:

• an increased risk of heart disease (one of the leading causes of death for women in Australia)
• type 2 diabetes
• breast cancer
• dementia
• increased menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes.

What you can do

It’s important to achieve and maintain a healthy weight during the menopause transition. There are many things you can do to reduce weight gain and the risk of chronic disease.

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet can prevent weight gain and improve energy levels.

A low-calorie or low-carb diet can help you lose weight. It can also help with other health issues (if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes.

Crash diets are not recommended for weight loss. Talk to your doctor or see a dietitian for advice.

Do regular physical activity

Physical activity has many benefits. It can reduce the risk of chronic disease and help you manage your weight and menopause symptoms.

It’s recommended you’re active on most (preferably all) days of the week. To lose weight, you will need to combine regular physical activity with reduced calorie intake.

Weekly exercise recommendations include:

• 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity – such as brisk walking, golf, mowing, swimming

or

• 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity – such as jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, playing team sports.

Or you can do a combination of the above.

Muscle-strengthening activities are also recommended 2 days a week.

Other lifestyle changes

Prioritising sleep and limiting alcohol are also important.

Poor sleep is associated with eating more food and making poor food choices.

Drinking too much alcohol can cause weight gain, interfere with your sleep and make menopause symptoms worse.

Menopausal hormone therapy

If menopausal symptoms are affecting your daily life and making it hard to exercise and eat well, ask your doctor about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

MHT can also reduce the risk of some chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It may also help to reduce belly fat after menopause.

When to see your doctor

Talk to your doctor if your menopause symptoms make it hard to do everyday activities. For example, if you:

• are overweight and find it hard to lose weight
• have problems sleeping
• have strong emotions, anxiety or depression
• need help to limit or stop drinking alcohol.

It’s also recommended to see your doctor before you start a new fitness program. This is especially important if you have a pre-existing medical condition or haven’t been physically active for some time.

For more detailed information, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit Jean Hailes for Women’s HealthExternal Link.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Dietitian
• Exercise physiologist
• Jean Hailes for Women’s HealthExternal Link

• The NAMS 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement Advisory Panel 2017, ‘The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society’External Link, Menopause, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 728–53.
• Stuenkel CA, Davis SR, Gompel A et al. 2015, ‘Treatment of symptoms of the menopause: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline’External Link, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 100, no. 11, pp. 3975–4011.
• Baber RJ, Panay N, Fenton A et al. 2016, ‘2016 IMS Recommendations on women’s midlife health and menopause hormone therapy’External Link, Climacteric, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 109–50.
• Shifren JL, Gass ML 2014 ‘The North American Menopause Society recommendations for clinical care of midlife women’External Link, Menopause, vol. 21, no. 10, pp. 1038–62.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

Give feedback about this page

Was this page helpful?

More information

Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 21-11-2022

Menopause and weight – Better Health Channel

Actions for this page

Summary

Read the full fact sheet

• At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.
• Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
• Treatment options include a healthy diet, regular exercise, strength training and menopausal hormone therapy.
• See your doctor for information and guidance if you haven’t exercised in some time.

What is menopause?

Menopause is your final period. You know you’ve reached menopause if you have not had your period for 12 months.

Many women think that gaining weight is part of menopause. But it’s more likely due to ageing and lifestyle changes.

Causes of weight gain in midlife

Ageing

On average, women aged between 45 and 55 years gain around half a kilo per year. As you get older, you lose muscle mass, which slows your metabolism and causes weight gain. So if your diet doesn’t change, you are likely to gain weight.

Oestrogen and fat distribution

Reduced levels of oestrogen after menopause can cause fat to be stored around your waist rather than on your hips and thighs. In postmenopausal women, belly fat accounts for 15 to 20% of their total body weight, compared with 5 to 8% in premenopausal women.

Menopausal symptoms

Menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes, poor sleep or low mood) can make it harder to exercise and eat healthy food, which may contribute to weight gain.

Life pressures

Around the time of menopause, different life pressures can make it hard to put your health first. For example, work pressures or caring for elderly parents.

Risks associated with belly fat

Fat stored around your belly is known as ‘visceral fat’. This type of fat is unhealthy as it is linked to:

• an increased risk of heart disease (one of the leading causes of death for women in Australia)
• type 2 diabetes
• breast cancer
• dementia
• increased menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes.

What you can do

It’s important to achieve and maintain a healthy weight during the menopause transition. There are many things you can do to reduce weight gain and the risk of chronic disease.

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet can prevent weight gain and improve energy levels.

A low-calorie or low-carb diet can help you lose weight. It can also help with other health issues (if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes.

Crash diets are not recommended for weight loss. Talk to your doctor or see a dietitian for advice.

Do regular physical activity

Physical activity has many benefits. It can reduce the risk of chronic disease and help you manage your weight and menopause symptoms.

It’s recommended you’re active on most (preferably all) days of the week. To lose weight, you will need to combine regular physical activity with reduced calorie intake.

Weekly exercise recommendations include:

• 2. 5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity – such as brisk walking, golf, mowing, swimming

or

• 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity – such as jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, playing team sports.

Or you can do a combination of the above.

Muscle-strengthening activities are also recommended 2 days a week.

Other lifestyle changes

Prioritising sleep and limiting alcohol are also important.

Poor sleep is associated with eating more food and making poor food choices.

Drinking too much alcohol can cause weight gain, interfere with your sleep and make menopause symptoms worse.

Menopausal hormone therapy

If menopausal symptoms are affecting your daily life and making it hard to exercise and eat well, ask your doctor about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

MHT can also reduce the risk of some chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It may also help to reduce belly fat after menopause.

When to see your doctor

Talk to your doctor if your menopause symptoms make it hard to do everyday activities. For example, if you:

• are overweight and find it hard to lose weight
• have problems sleeping
• have strong emotions, anxiety or depression
• need help to limit or stop drinking alcohol.

It’s also recommended to see your doctor before you start a new fitness program. This is especially important if you have a pre-existing medical condition or haven’t been physically active for some time.

For more detailed information, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit Jean Hailes for Women’s HealthExternal Link.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Dietitian
• Exercise physiologist
• Jean Hailes for Women’s HealthExternal Link

• The NAMS 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement Advisory Panel 2017, ‘The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society’External Link, Menopause, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 728–53.
• Stuenkel CA, Davis SR, Gompel A et al. 2015, ‘Treatment of symptoms of the menopause: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline’External Link, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 100, no. 11, pp. 3975–4011.
• Baber RJ, Panay N, Fenton A et al. 2016, ‘2016 IMS Recommendations on women’s midlife health and menopause hormone therapy’External Link, Climacteric, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 109–50.
• Shifren JL, Gass ML 2014 ‘The North American Menopause Society recommendations for clinical care of midlife women’External Link, Menopause, vol. 21, no. 10, pp. 1038–62.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved
by:

Give feedback about this page

Was this page helpful?

More information

Content disclaimer

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 21-11-2022

Menopause. Weight fluctuations during menopause

For women of any age, weight gain is a major concern. Changes in appearance can cause dissatisfaction with yourself and even lead to nervous breakdowns. In addition, being overweight has a negative impact on overall health. It provokes the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other problems. With age, extra pounds often appear on the stomach and hips literally “out of thin air”, and it is very difficult to get rid of them. Diets and exercise that gave excellent results in your 20s and 30s stop working after 40.

Doctors claim that fullness is an integral companion of menopause and it is impossible to avoid weight gain during menopause. At a certain point (most often at 40-45 years old), the female body begins to change. He is preparing for menopause, which leads to a change in the work of all systems. At first they are subtle, but over time they intensify.

Reasons for weight gain

Menopause is accompanied by aging of body cells. In addition, during this period, the wrong way of life makes itself felt, which in youth is not displayed on the outside, but affects the entire body. The cause of weight gain is often not hormonal changes, but overeating. If the calories received from food are not fully consumed, weight gain is inevitable.

Neurosis, stress and chronic fatigue cause malfunctions in the body. Sometimes there is a false feeling of hunger, and women unconsciously “seize stress”.

Natural age-related changes also affect the muscles. Muscle mass decreases and is replaced by fat cells. This leads to a slowdown in the metabolic process, the quality of food processing and the rate of calorie burning are reduced.

The lack of physical activity in everyday life does not affect the figure in the best way. A sedentary lifestyle leads to the appearance of fat in the abdomen.

Important factors in weight gain are heredity, hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease, sluggish metabolism.

Hormonal control is the key to health

To resist weight gain during menopause, it is enough to follow a few simple rules. This is an increase in physical activity and proper nutrition. It is not necessary to visit the gym every day, it is enough to include morning exercises and walks in the fresh air in your daily life. As for nutrition, the rules are no less simple. This is counting the number of calories, including vegetables, fruits, vegetable fats in your diet, moderate consumption of fatty foods. It is also important to follow the diet.

It is advisable for every woman after 40 years of age to regularly take tests for hormonal status and consult a doctor about their results. The sooner hormonal imbalances are detected, the less effort will be required to stabilize it. The doctor, based on the results of the research, will give all the necessary recommendations and prescribe treatment. This will allow you to maintain youth, a beautiful figure and health for a long time.

No. 300105 Menopausal hormonal status

10406 ​​views

Author-doctor:

Savchenko Svetlana Petrovna

Expert in the field of laboratory diagnostics, healthcare organization, diagnostics and treatment of therapeutic diseases.

Article publication date:
04/02/2018

Updated:
19.08.2022

How to lose weight with menopause? – Menopause and excess weight

• Causes of weight gain during menopause
• What to take during menopause so as not to gain weight
• How to lose weight during menopause with the help of cosmetic procedures?

Menopause (menopause) is a physiological stage in a woman’s life, during which the female reproductive function declines. The production of estrogen (the female sex hormone) decreases over time, which affects beauty, health and mood.

Causes of weight gain during menopause

Hormones are responsible for both health and appearance of a woman. The period of menopause is often accompanied by an increase in weight and body fat in the female body. This can be explained by the following factors:

1. Metabolic disorders. Female sex hormones affect the metabolic rate, as a result of which a decrease in estrogen production slows down the process of digestion of fats and carbohydrates, and causes menopausal visceral obesity.
2. Low physical activity. If, simultaneously with menopause, a woman’s pace of life slows down, then this directly affects the figure. That is why losing weight in menopause is extremely difficult.
3. Insomnia. Increased prolactin levels and frequent menopausal hot flashes provoke insomnia. The lack of a normal regimen and duration of sleep is a serious stress for the female body, which eventually leads to weight gain.
4. Stress. An increase in prolactin levels and a decrease in dopamine (the hormone of joy) cause unreasonable mood changes. You should also take into account other typical and extremely uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, which, in combination with the protest of the psyche against aging, provoke an increase in the synthesis of cortisol and more frequent stressful conditions. Stress is considered one of the main causes of weight gain.
5. Arterial hypertension. Hormonal changes during menopause make the cardiovascular system vulnerable. High blood pressure causes water retention in the body. Thus, up to 3 liters of fluid can accumulate in the body and be expressed as edema.

Having considered all of the above factors, it becomes clear why weight is gained during menopause and why it is so difficult to get rid of it.

What to take during menopause, so as not to gain weight

Specialists in the field of gynecology, cardiology and nutrition strongly recommend that women during menopause switch to mono-diets, fasting or interval nutrition. The fact is that during hormonal changes, the cardiovascular (CVS) and musculoskeletal systems (ODS) react sharply to a lack of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Proper fractional nutrition, rich in vitamins and minerals, low in carbohydrates and moderate calories will help to reduce or maintain weight.

More detailed recommendations on how to stop weight gain during menopause, we will give below. So:

• eat fractionally, 5-6 times a day;
• drink at least 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day;
• include in the diet a sufficient amount of fiber, raw vegetables, fresh fruits, herbs, legumes, fish, lean meat, protein, cereals;
• give up sugar in any form, including drinks, sweet fruits, juices; from baked goods, fast foods, fried foods, high carbohydrate foods, and saturated fats.

Talking about how to lose weight during menopause, do not forget about other aspects:

• Maintain hormones with phytoestrogens after consultation with a gynecologist.
• Get rid of bad habits: smoking, alcohol, which negatively affect the condition of blood vessels and all internal organs, including the condition of the skin.
• Add vitamins and dietary supplements to your diet. Vitamins A, E, group B, microelements: zinc, potassium, magnesium, selenium help to control weight.
• Correct nutrition with a specialist (gastroenterologist and nutritionist) in order to lose weight during menopause without harm to the gastrointestinal tract. The doctor also draws up a personal calorie content and diet, analyzing your health status, parameters and activity.
• Enter physical activity: walking, cardio, running, swimming, yoga, Pilates and more, if health permits.
• Sleep. Regular lack of sleep causes a lack of melatonin, which negatively affects the secretion of other hormones that affect metabolic processes. Eight hours of sleep in complete darkness is a must.

How to lose weight during menopause with the help of cosmetic procedures?

The modern beauty industry is dedicated to helping women going through menopause. That is why our clinic of laser cosmetology and plastic surgery presents effective procedures that will help you lose weight during menopause.

Cryolipolysis – is a non-traumatic non-surgical technique for removing local fat deposits based on controlled cooling of the subcutaneous fat tissue. Destroyed by low temperatures, fat cells leave on their own through the lymph and do not tend to recover.

LPG-massage – instrumental massage based on a combination of vacuum and vibration effects on problem areas of the face and body. LPG massage is 5 times more effective than manual massage.

Laser lipolysis – non-traumatic surgical operation to destroy fat cells using laser energy, which are subsequently removed from the body through the lymphatic channels within 1-2 months without the possibility of recovery.

Liposuction – an operation to eliminate fat cells by exposure to medical laser energy, followed by their removal with a vacuum immediately during the operation. In our Platinum Laser clinic, we perform two types of liposuction – laser and ultrasound, which are recognized as the most effective and at the same time safe for the human body. Liposuction is indicated in cases where all other inoperable techniques do not bring the desired result.