Women gain on average 5 pounds during menopause; about 20% of women gain 10 pounds or more.

For most women, menopause sets in between the ages of 45 and 50, when a woman stops producing eggs and her monthly period stops. Without a job to do anymore, less of the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone are produced.

Menopause is a threat because the Healthy Women’s Study found women gained on average 5 pounds during menopause. About 20% of women gained 10 pounds or more.

In general, women either gain weight or find maintaining their weight more difficult during menopause. The end result is the number of overweight middle-aged women jumps 12 percent when compared to women in their 20s and 30s. It doesn’t matter if you were thin to start. Women of all sizes are likely to gain weight during menopause.

 The reason for this has always been in question. Is it because of lifestyle changes or the radical hormonal changes women experience during menopause? It’s probably a bit of both.

Research at the Oregon Health and Science University found evidence that falling hormone levels increase hunger, which leads to rapid weight gain. Lower estrogen may not only affect hunger, but also your metabolism and activity levels.

Other studies have found postmenopausal women to be less active than pre-menopausal women. If you are less active, you are burning fewer calories and will gain weight, especially if menopause makes you hungrier at the same time. The good news is that increasing physical activity can prevent a lot of the weight gain.

This is another area where you are overweight in your own way. Some woman gain little during menopause and for some reason other women gain a lot of weight.

Another consequence of reduced estrogen levels is the weight women gain tends to accumulate around their belly rather than around their hips and thighs. Belly fat is associated with higher heart disease risks.

All the strategies in this book will help you mange your weight through menopause. But, one option for treating menopause we won’t talk about is Hormone Replacement Therapy. Menopause is a complex subject and you really need to talk to your doctor about treatment options.