Weight Gain Women
Women may be especially vulnerable to weight
gain during three key periods of their lives, at the beginning of their
menstrual cycle, after pregnancy and after menopause. The prevalence of
obesity in women has almost doubled in the last 20 years. Therefore, identifying
key stages and causes of weight gain will be critical for developing prevention
programs to stop or slow down this trend.
Weight Gain Menarche
Support for this notion comes from two studies, conducted by researchers
at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass. These studies suggest
that early menarche operates mainly as an intermediate on the pathway
to later obesity. Early menarche may also contribute independently to
increase the risk of later obesity.
Weight Retention Pregnancy
Weight retention following pregnancy may be a factor in the obesity of
young women, according to an overview of research, presented by researchers
at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While most women experience
a modest weight gain after pregnancy, obese women are at risk for substantial
weight gain. In addition, the data indicates that African American women
are at greater risk of weight gain than Caucasian women.
Weight Gain After Pregnancy
Weight gain after pregnancy may reflect changes in lifestyle behaviors
rather than physiological changes associated with giving birth. Obesity
prevention programs that focus on changes in diet and physical activity
patterns offer promise for reducing weight retention after pregnancy.
Weight Gain Menopause
Weight gain during menopause may be significantly prevented by long-term
changes in dietary intake and increased physical activity, according to
findings of the Women's Healthy Lifestyle Project, a five-year, randomized
clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Weight change
in the older woman may be more strongly associated with aging than with
menopause. However, post-menopausal women have higher levels of body fat
and central adiposity than other women the same age.
Source: 2000 Press Release: North American
Association For The Study Of Obesity
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