Menopause causes weight gain for many women. The extra fat generally accumulates around the middle, and can be difficult to get rid of. Hormones may be partly to blame, but aging and lifestyle factors also play a big role in a woman's changing body composition.
Activity Level
Menopause is a time many women reduce their exercise or stop completely. This is understandable, since menopause can make you feel tired, but lack of exercise can add pounds. The solution is to increase your activity. Even 30 minutes a day can have an impact.
Diet and Metabolism
If you eat more, your body takes in more calories---which your body converts to fat if they are not burned for energy. This is true anytime of your life, but especially during menopause because the number of calories you need drops as you age. The body replaces muscle with fat as it ages. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, your metabolism will naturally slow. You can combat this by reducing your calorie intake from your mid- to late-40s and by paying closer attention to your fat intake.
Genetics
Genetic factors may play a role in weight gain as well, and may dictate where the fat accumulates. Even if you are a healthy weight, you may notice that your waist widens during menopause while the fat decreases in your limbs and hips. A concentration of fat in the midsection is not healthy. It increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder problems and even breast and colorectal cancer.
Hormones
Abdominal fat cells, which you may start noticing at menopause, are not like other fat cells. They produce hormones and other substances that may affect your health. This is how some women develop insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. These hormones may also contribute to breast and colon cancers.
Stress
Stress hormones block weight loss. If the stress level in your life is out of control, your body may experience the "famine effect." When this happens, even if you eat adequate food, your body believes it is starving and hoards every spare calorie as fat. Not only that, you will be fighting against your body when you exercise, since it won't let you burn that fat.
Other Concerns
You will lose calcium during menopause, so it's a good time to ask your health care provider about supplementation to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
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