Menopause
Weight Gain: A Frustrating Change of Life
As
women reach the age of menopause—typically in their
forties and fifties—they may notice a disturbing trend.
The scales creep up, their stomachs expand, and losing weight
seems impossible. This is known as menopause weight gain,
one of the many causes of
weight gain, and certainly one of the most unwelcome
signs of menopause.
Menopause
weight gain has been blamed on a convergence of issues during
the middle-aged years. Some of the causes of menopause weight
gain could be any combination of the following factors:
- Dropping
hormone levels
- The
body using fewer calories as it ages (each decade, there
is a 5 percent decrease in metabolic rate)
- A
reduction in the body’s muscle mass, again because
of age (less muscle mass means fewer calories used by
the body)
- Bloating
and water weight gain is a very common menopause weight
gain symptom
- Being
less busy at home with children, and therefore, burning
fewer calories
- Genetic
factors, such as parents and other relatives who are overweight,
may also play a role in menopause weight gain
- Hypothyroidism—thyroid
problems are widespread among women as they age
As
age causes the metabolism to slow down, women may need about
200 fewer calories per day to maintain their weight. Without
reducing calorie intake, exercising more, or finding other
ways of boosting metabolism,
women may experience a menopause weight gain of 12-15 pounds,
on average, according to one study. In addition, women who
try to lose this weight may struggle for months or years
without much success.
While
menopause weight gain is downright maddening for many women,
there are some options to help prevent and even reverse
the process. It just takes a lot of work and determination.
According to several studies, women who adhere to a low
calorie diet (about 1,300 calories a day) and a solid exercise
program (at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise
a day) have maintained or even lost weight. Considering
that the average American woman consumes more than 1,900
calories a day, preventing menopause weight gain with diet
and exercise is easier said than done. One other option
that women have found helpful for menopause weight gain
is strength training, which increases the muscle mass that
is lost as they age.
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