Menopause 'causes no weight gain'

17 Oct 2012, 6:44 am   -   Source: AAP
Share This
0 
+ Comment
0
The loss of the female hormone oestrogen leads to a change in the pattern of body fat, which shifts from the hips to the abdomen. (Getty)

The loss of the female hormone oestrogen leads to a change in the pattern of body fat, which shifts from the hips to the abdomen. (Getty)

Contrary to popular perception, menopause does not cause weight gain, although it does increase fat around the waist, a specialist journal reported on Tuesday.

Contrary to popular perception, menopause does not cause weight gain, although it does increase fat around the waist, a specialist journal reported on Tuesday.

Scientists working for the International Menopause Society carried out a review of the evidence, looking at published studies into the impact of menopause on body weight.

Where weight gain occurred, it did not occur through hormonal factors, which means that menopause cannot be blamed, they found.

However, they concluded that the loss of the female hormone oestrogen leads to a change in the pattern of body fat, which shifts from the hips to the abdomen.

"It is a myth that the menopause causes a woman to gain weight," said lead investigator Susan Davis, a professor at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

"It's really just a consequence of environmental factors and ageing which cause that. But there is no doubt that the new spare tyre many women complain of after menopause is real," she said.

"This is the body's response to the fall in oestrogen at menopause - a shift of fat storage from the hips to the waist."

Previous research has found that on average a woman in Western society gains around 0.5 kilos per year after the age of 50. Weight gain is influenced by genetic and behavioural factors, especially a sedentary lifestyle and snacking on fatty and sugary foods.

"What this translates to in real terms is that women going through the menopause should begin to try to control their weight before it becomes a problem, so if you have not been looking after yourself before the menopause, you should certainly start to do so when it arrives," Davis said in a press release.

"This means for all women being thoughtful about what you eat, and for many being more active every day."

The study, published ahead of World Menopause Day on Thursday, appears in the society's journal, Climacteric.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube

Join the Discussion

Name
City / Suburb E.g. Artarmon, Sydney
Title
Comment
You have characters remaining.
Validation
What's this?
This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots.
All submitted comments become the property of SBS. They are moderated, so we reserve the right to edit comments and remove HTML tags. Not all submitted comments will be published. Publication does not mean we endorse the opinions expressed. Please read our terms and conditions for more information.