Menopause refers to the change in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycles cease, and she is no longer “fertile” (producing eggs). As normal hormone production continues to decline during perimenopause and menopause, a variety of troublesome symptoms may start to occur, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and more.
But no side-effect of menopause is more frustrating than weight gain. Eventually the hot flashes and mood fluctuations will go away – but most women are stuck for the rest of their lives with the unwanted weight gain that accompanies menopause.
And weight gain is much more than just a cosmetic issue! Weight gain not only dramatically decreases a woman’s self-esteem, it also can significantly increase her risk for virtually every major chronic disease, including: heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer.
In this article Austin, TX menopause and hormone expert Dr. Ruthie Harper explains what causes weight gain during menopause – and how you can effectively prevent new weight gain and lose those unwanted pounds.
Hormonal Causes of Weight Gain After Menopause
Menopause results in rapid changes in a woman’s reproductive / sex hormone levels, including estrogen and testosterone. And these hormones play a key role in how the body both burns “calories” and stores fat.
During menopause estrogen levels decline, which decreases the rate with which the body “burns” and converts stored energy (fat). Simply put, low estrogen levels slow down the metabolism, which increases fat storage on the body.
Additionally, lower estrogen levels result in less fat breakdown, which results in further fat accumulation and weight gain. And, if the balance between estrogen and testosterone gets out of balance, an excess of androgens (male hormones) can increase the risk of obesity.
Finally, to compound the problem, the levels of the hormone leptin – which signal the brain to feel “full” after eating – also drop. So, women actually do feel hungrier as a result of menopause, which leads to eating more.
