Weight Gain During Menopause

As women approach menopause they endure many symptoms, but one that proves the most difficult for many women to accept is menopausal weight gain. Not only can a few extra pounds (or maybe more) ravage a woman´s self-esteem and self-image, but weight gain can usher in a host of health concerns that put a woman at risk of developing life-threatening conditions.

About Weight Gain

Weight gain takes place when a woman increases her body mass, whether as a result of fat deposits, additional muscle tissue, or excess fluid. However, weight gain associated with menopause typically involves increased amounts of fat around the mid-section.

On average, women gain between 12 to 15 pounds between the ages of 45 and 55, the stage in life when menopause typically occurs. This extra weight generally does not evenly distribute itself throughout a woman´s body. The weight tends instead to accumulate around the abdomen, and women often notice the shape of their bodies slowly lose their hour-glass figure and begin to take on a rounder shape. This body transformation is a typical aspect of weight gain during menopause.

• Heart disease, stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Breast cancer.
• High cholesterol.
• Kidney disease.
• Sleep apnea.
• Insulin resistance (increasing
  diabetes risks).
• More severe menopausal symptoms.

A woman´s hormones have complex functions in her body, including weight control. Here´s a list of the different hormones that can affect weight gain and how:

Estrogen: As a woman´s ovaries produce less estrogen, her body attempts to find the hormone in places other than the ovaries. Fat cells can produce estrogen, so her body works harder to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels. Unfortunately, fat cells don't burn calories the way muscle cells do, which causes weight gain.

Progesterone: Water retention is often linked to menopause because water weight and bloating      are      caused     by     decreased

Testosterone: Testosterone helps a woman´s body create lean muscle mass out of the calories consumed. Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells do, increasing metabolic rate. As testosterone levels drop, fewer calories are transformed into lean muscle mass, thus a woman´s metabolism winds down.

Insulin Resistance: Insulin resistance can occur during the menopausal years. This is when a woman´s body mistakenly turns every calorie taken in into fat. Over time, processed and refined foods may make a woman´s body resistant to insulin produced in the blood stream.

This means that lifestyle changes are the best place to begin. For example, obviously the tried and true way to cope with weight gain is to get regular exercise and eat a healthy diet high in nutrients but not overboard in portion.

Typically, combining lifestyle changes and alternative medicines will produce the best results. When seeking out alternative medicines, keep in mind that because weight gain during menopause is associated with hormonal imbalance, look  for  herbal  supplements  that  bring  a  natural

Finally, if still experiencing weight gain, there are different drugs and surgeries that can be explored, such as diet pills or liposuction. This final option comes with the most risk and side effects and should be considered a last result. A health care professional should be consulted before undergoing one of these options.