Whoever coined the phrase “Don’t ruin your success” has probably never experienced the menopausal transition. The diet and exercise routines that have served me seem to stop working overnight.
“Midlife weight gain often frightens women,” says Stephanie S. Forbion, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The age at which women reach menopause varies, but many begin experiencing years of transition and the symptoms that come with it in her 40s.
“I often see women come into my office and say, ‘I’m gaining weight, and nothing’s changed.’ The rules of your body have changed.It’s very frustrating for women, but predictable,” says Forbion, Ph.D., director of women’s health at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. says.
Find new eating and exercise habits to avoid weight gain
At this stage in life, more than ever, we need to pay attention to our lifestyle, says Ekta of MBBS, a researcher and physician at the Menopause and Women’s Sexual Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. says Kapoor.
Weight gain is inevitable unless you put extra effort into eating healthier and doing regular physical activity, she says.
Dr. Kapoor, a leading authority on menopause and weight, will discuss the effects of age and menopause, as well as weight, at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting, October 12-15, 2022 in Atlanta. Presented management strategies.
“It’s imperative that women enter menopause armed with this knowledge and practical tips for preventing and managing weight gain,” she says.
Peri-menopausal women gain about 1.5 pounds each year
Women in their 50s gain an average of about 1.5 pounds per year, Dr. Kapoor says.
The increase is slow, but women tend to feel uneasy about it. Weight gain is a common complaint among middle-aged women and can be more bothersome than vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, says Kapoor.
Is aging or menopause the cause of weight gain?
Hormones aren’t to blame for menopausal weight gain, Dr. Forbion says. “Both men and women generally gain weight in middle age,” she says. First of all, less muscle mass means your body burns fewer calories both during activity and at rest, says Kapoor.
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Middle age is also a time of subtle but real declines in physical activity, she notes.
Lifestyle changes, such as attending more social events, can mean you burn more calories, says Forbion.
result? A “positive energy balance” (having more calories than your body burns) leads to fat gain and weight gain, says Kapoor.
Menopausal belly fat: Hormonal flow causes fat to accumulate in the middle of the body
The loss of estrogen that occurs during menopause can cause women to store fat in their abdomen, Kapoor says. increase.
extra pounds — belly fat — Add to Extra Midlife Health Risks
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), nearly two out of three women in the United States between the ages of 40 and 65 are classified as obese, and almost 74% of women over the age of 65.
Overweight and obesity are determined by body mass index (BMI). BMI is a person’s weight (kg) divided by his height (m) squared. Normal weight he is 18.5-24.9. 25-29.9 is considered overweight and 30 and above is considered obese.
Overweight or obesity puts women at increased risk for cardiometabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and coronary artery disease. Obesity also increases the risk of cancer in women, including breast and endometrial cancer, says Kapoor.
Excess fat in the midsection can increase the risk of some chronic diseases, she says. is an active metabolic tissue that releases hormones and free fatty acids associated with heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. says Kapoor.
Can hormone therapy help with weight control?
Hormone therapy (HT) shouldn’t be used exclusively for weight management in middle-aged women, but it can be one of many tools women can use to achieve a healthy weight, says Kapoor. says Mr. First of all, it can improve body composition by redistributing visceral fat to reduce body fat accumulation, she says.
Hormone therapy may indirectly aid weight management strategies by reducing the burden of menopausal symptoms (such as night sweats and other symptoms that interfere with sleep) and encouraging adoption of a healthier lifestyle.
Manage symptoms and control weight with or without HT
Even women who aren’t candidates for hormone therapy or who don’t want to use hormone therapy need to pay close attention to managing menopausal symptoms with non-hormonal strategies, says Kapoor. is especially important to reduce given its negative impact on weight in middle-aged women, she says.
According to Forbion, some medications menopausal women may be taking, such as antidepressants, may contribute to weight gain. talk to your doctor about your options.
Watching calories is key to managing weight in middle age
“The most important intervention is to monitor your overall caloric intake and continue to reduce it as you age,” says Kapoor. Limits are necessary, she says.
Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but it can’t melt the pounds by itself
Physical activity and exercise on their own won’t lead to significant weight loss, says Kapoor.
“Exercise is not as effective as dietary interventions for initial weight loss, but it plays an important role in maintaining weight after dietary weight loss and has multiple other health benefits,” she says. recommends that women exercise 150-200 minutes per week.
How can women avoid menopausal weight gain and midlife belly fat?
Be prepared for the changes that menopause will bring, says Kapoor. “Predict a decline in metabolic rate in midlife that requires a reduction in caloric intake,” she says.
Women who reach menopause at a normal weight are more likely to maintain it during the menopausal transition, and are more likely to do so for the next few years.
Bariatric surgery or weight loss drugs may be an option for some people
Medications for weight loss can be considered in clinically relevant settings for patients who meet prescription thresholds, says Kapoor. Bariatric surgery is also considered for women with weight-related comorbidities. She says she will.
Do you have to match the jeans of your youth to be healthy?
If you find wearing skinny jeans to be a pain, it may be time to let them go. “As long as a woman maintains a healthy weight, she doesn’t have to stay a size 2,” says Forbion. “It’s probably unrealistic to think that when she goes through menopause, she’ll be the same weight she was in high school.”
Healthy weight is just that, being healthy and that’s the goal. “Even a weight loss of just 3% can have significant health benefits, such as improved cholesterol and reduced risk of diabetes,” says Kapoor. For a 160 lb woman, this equates to a weight loss of about 5 lbs.
Weight loss of 5-10% of body weight (when women need to reduce that amount to stay within a healthy BMI range) has additional health benefits, such as improved blood pressure and reduced chronic pain. She says it could be done.
