Weight Changes in Middle Age
Weight Gain & Middle Age
Weight loss experts disagree on the exact causes of weight gain in middle
age - either aging or menopause could be to blame. But it is clear that
between the ages 35 and 55, our body changes. Either we gain weight or
maintaining our weight becomes more difficult. And we tend to gain fat
around our middle or abdomen.
Weight Gain & Menopause
For most women, weight gain begins during perimenopause, the years leading
up to menopause. That's when our body begins to produce less estrogen,
which seems to trigger changes in body weight and body shape. Our metabolism
slows down and the amount of muscle we have decreases. Because muscle
burns more calories than fat, the less muscle you have, the fewer calories
you burn.
Weight Loss Study
A weight loss study published in 1991 in the Archives of Internal Medicine
determined that women who were thin before menopause were likely to gain
as much weight as those who were more overweight. The 541 women, ages
42 to 50, were premenopausal when the weight loss study began. Three years
later, they had all gained the same amount of weight, whether or not they'd
gone through menopause.
Source: Mayoclinic.com
|
|
|
com