Know What Causes Weight Gain during Menopause

As the menopause approach to a woman, she surely faces a few or many of the menopausal symptoms. However, the symptom for which it is most difficult to give a positive response is weight gain. Not only it will earn you some more pounds, it can also put you into an ocean of health issues bearing acute medical conditions. Weight gain occurs due to an increase in the body mass because of fat deposits, extra muscle tissue, or surplus fluid. But, in a menopausal woman, weight gain is mostly due to increased fat around the middle portion of the body.

As per the studies, women obtain around 12 to 15 pounds between the ages of 45 and 55 and that this extra weight, instead of getting distributed evenly throughout the body, gets accumulated around the abdomen. Further, around 90% of menopausal women pass through weight gain. So, weight gain is a natural and common symptom of aging, but there are techniques to lose it too. Read further and check it out!
 

• SymptomsMostly, by looking at the body, it is easy to identify this menopausal symptom. However, there are some signs unique to menopausal weight gain.
• Hike in the percentage of body fat
• Accumulated fats around abdomen
• Trouble in preserving the actual weight
• Increase in the size of breast
• Continual weight gain
• Slower metabolism
• Drastic change in body shape
 
• RisksListed below are the risks of weight gain during menopause.
• Heart diseases
• High blood pressure
• Osteoarthritis
• Breast cancer
• High cholesterol
• Kidney diseases
• Sleep apnea
• Insulin resistance (diabetes)
 
• CausesThe main reason behind weight gain is the hormonal imbalance. A woman’ hormones are responsible for complex functions in her body along with weight control. In this regard, there are many hormones that affect the weight gain factor.
  
  When ovaries generate less estrogen in menopause, the body looks for hormone in places. As fat cells have the power to generate estrogen, the body tries hard to change calories into fat for more amount of estrogen. But, fat cells will never burn calories, which results in weight gain.
  
  Androgen does the work of transmitting new weight to the mid-section and that when the menopause has just begun, its level in the body first increases. Testosterone is responsible for making lean muscle mass from the consumed calories. As muscle cells burn more calories as compared to the fat cells, the metabolic rate goes up. So, if the testosterone’s amount goes down, not more calories will be changed to lean muscle mass slowing the metabolism process.
  
  Further, if a woman eats much of processed and refined foods, she is making her body resistant to insulin made in the blood due to which the risk of insulin resistance increases. As per the studies, a decline in estrogen and progesterone might increase the diet of a woman making her to eat up to 67% more than the normal diet. This with a slower metabolism definitely results in weight gain.
  
  Even hypothyroidism has its own role to play in weight gain. The under active thyroid actually slows down the metabolic rate leading to a lofty look and feel. The thyroid hormones actually control the consumption of calories. So, if an under active thyroid ensures that fewer calories are burned. Sometimes, hyperthyroidism also leads to weight gain.
  
  There are some more factors that play their own role in weight gain, which are age and lifestyle factors. With increasing age, one is not able to carry out maximum possible physical activities leading to less burning of gathering calories. On the other hand, the lifestyle factors are:
• Stress
• Diminished physical activity
• Modification in eating habits
• Use of medications
• Too much of alcohol
 
• TreatmentBegin always with the least invasive approach and in this case, it is to bring a change in the lifestyle habits. So, try for regular exercise, no overeating, and a healthy diet rich in nutrients. If this does not work, go for combining lifestyle changes and alternative medicines for effective results. This includes herbal supplements that can naturally restore the balance of hormones in the body.