Many women report gaining weight around the time of menopause and in the years after. But it may be their lifestyle choices - and not body fat - contributing to the rise.
Although there is still much to learn, some evidence suggests that the way body fat is distributed in both men and women is associated with fluctuating hormone levels. As estrogen levels decline, even if total body weight remains the same, some women may have an increase in visceral fat around the midsection.
Mayo Clinic researchers have found evidence that genetics play a role in the amount and location of abdominal fat in postmenopausal women, although this did not appear to be true for premenopausal women.
Ongoing studies are being conducted to try to identify which gene is responsible.
The Healthy Women's Study engaged 541 healthy, initially premenopausal women, 42 to 50 years of age. About 20 percent of these women gained 10 pounds or more of total body weight during the first three years of the study, while only 3 percent lost that amount of weight. Weight gain was similar in women who remained premenopausal and those who became postmenopausal during this time.
The factor that was most consistently related to weight gain was a decline in physical activity, and it was determined that postmenopausal women were less physically active during leisure time than same-age premenopausal women.
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News
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