Is weight gain inevitable during menopause?

Menopause often sparks a wave of misconceptions, especially about weight gain. Many women are led to believe that gaining weight during menopause is inevitable. This belief can create unnecessary stress and confusion. While hormonal changes do influence your body, the truth is more nuanced than this.

Let’s dive into the science to separate fact from fiction.

Does menopause cause weight gain?

Despite common assumptions, menopause itself doesn’t directly lead to significant overall weight gain. Instead, the gradual increase in weight many women experience during midlife is primarily due to the natural ageing process.¹

However, hormonal changes during menopause - specifically the decline in oestrogen - do play a role in how your body distributes fat. This shift often results in fat moving from the hips and thighs (a gynoid pattern) to the abdomen (an android pattern). Unfortunately, abdominal fat is more than just a cosmetic concern; it’s closely linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic conditions.¹

How lifestyle impacts weight during menopause

While hormonal changes influence fat distribution, lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, and stress significantly affect weight during menopause.

For instance, night sweats can disrupt sleep, increasing appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin, making it harder to control food intake. Chronic stress adds another layer of complexity, as elevated cortisol levels can encourage fat storage, particularly around the midsection.¹ This highlights the importance of addressing physical and emotional health together during menopause.

Diet and exercise: your best allies

A balanced diet tailored to individual needs plays a key role in maintaining fat-free mass and supporting metabolic health during menopause. Research highlights the effectiveness of a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet for postmenopausal women, demonstrating significant reductions in fat mass and improvements in cardiovascular risk factors.²

Additionally, combining a Mediterranean diet with regular physical activity, even minimal aerobic exercise, enhances its benefits by improving body composition, supporting metabolic health, and reducing visceral fat levels.² By focusing on nutrient-rich foods and personalised dietary interventions, women can better manage the challenges of menopause and promote long-term health.

So, is weight gain truly inevitable?

The narrative that weight gain is unavoidable during menopause can feel disheartening. But evidence shows that adopting healthy habits can counteract many of the changes associated with this life stage.

This isn’t about striving for perfection. It’s about exploring manageable, sustainable strategies to support your overall health. Small, consistent efforts - like tweaking your diet, staying active, and managing stress - can make a big difference.

The numan take

Menopause is a time of transformation, but it doesn’t mean losing control of your health. Understanding how hormones, metabolism, and lifestyle factors interact empowers you to make informed decisions.

At Numan, we’re here to support you with compassionate care and a focus on actionable and sustainable steps to help you feel your best during every stage of life.

References

1.) Davis, S. R., Castelo-Branco, C., Chedraui, P., Lumsden, M. A., Nappi, R. E., & Shah, D. (2012). Understanding weight gain at menopause. Climacteric, 15(5), 419–429. https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2012.707385

2.) Lombardo, M., Perrone, M. A., Guseva, E., Aulisa, G., Padua, E., Bellia, C., Della-Morte, D., Iellamo, F., Caprio, M., & Bellia, A. (2020). Losing weight after menopause with minimal aerobic training and Mediterranean diet. Nutrients, 12(8), 2471. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082471