Early Menopause Life Expectancy

Menopause And Weight Gain: Keeping Slim

There's a correlation between menopause and weight gain. It's common to find that there is an average weight increase of 1 pound per year during pre-menopause. The total poundage gain is about ten - 15 pounds. The weight is distributed differently from pre-menopausal gains, and the weight is more often found in the abdominal area instead of the hips, thighs and buttocks. Menopausal weight is additionallymore difficult to lose.

There are many reasons for weight to increase. Age is one issue. When a woman's activity level slows down, her body requires a smaller number of calories. This type of weight increase is usually not caused by overeating. Changing to a better diet can be effective to slow or eliminate increases in weight from this cause.

Changes in hormone levels have an effect on your weight. If the time of menopause falls within normal ranges, increases in weight are expected to be at a slower rate. Women who enter the menopausal years early in life or for whom surgery caused menopause are apt to gain weight more quickly.

Exercising less can also be an element in weight increases. As people age, they tend to slow down. The body needs less muscle usage, thus slowing down the metabolic system. Exercising is important at any age but especially once one hits menopause.

The food you eat and the way it is metabolized is a factor in menopausal gains in weight. With age, the body requires fewer calories to maintain itself. Unless you are doing intensive exercising, the metabolic rate will drop naturally. Aging promotes the replacement of muscle with fat, thereby creating an apple shape compared to the pear shape of earlier years.

The distribution of weight changes with age. The relocation of weight to the stomach makes it tougher to lose. This menopause and weight gain relationship can become a health hazard. The increase in insulin resistance usually ends up in type 2 diabetes. Increased weight can cause increased blood pressure and a gain of more than 20 pounds will increase the chance of breast cancer.

About the Author

Discover how to easily relieve your weight gain symptoms of menopause faster than you ever thought possible.

Be Sociable, Share!

•