As Ryan Singerman, DO, PPG – Family Medicine, director, PPG – Weight Management & Bariatric Surgery, explained, it’s common for women to buy into the belief that they will inevitably gain weight after menopause. But that doesn’t make it true.
Menopause occurs when a woman does not have her menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. Along with this change, they will experience a reduction in the amount of estrogen and progesterone being put out by their ovaries. The interesting thing Dr. Singerman pointed out here is that science shows that a strict reduction in estrogen and progesterone is associated with either a weight-neutral or weight-loss result.
So, where is this concept coming from?
Dr. Singerman shared that changes on the scale during the time of menopause likely have more to do with shifts that occur in life around this stage, rather than hormones.
As women approach their 50s and 60s, their circumstances tend to transition. They become empty nesters, which means they might have more of a disposable income, take more vacations and stop cooking at home as much. This can lead to a higher consumption of calories, from both food and alcohol.
We also know that, as we get older, we burn fewer calories. It’s common to hear older individuals mention how they can’t eat the same things they could in their 20s and keep the same figure. The data supports these claims.
Instead of hormonal changes, Dr. Singerman explained that an increase in consumption and a decrease in net calorie burn is likely the culprit of a higher number on the scale, more so than changes to a woman’s estrogen or progesterone production. These changes in lifestyle and diet can have a big impact on the body.
For more on this subject, you can see Dr. Singerman in this myth-busting video covering similar concepts.
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