Is Middle-aged Spread Common During Menopause?

One thing most of us who are 40 and over have in common is weight gain. In fact, many people who were thin all their lives report they became fat at 40. Weight gain in our 40s in most commonly called middle-aged spread. Although, middle-aged spread occurs in many menopausal women, it is more significant in women who are more sedentary. Menopausal women who are more active may not gain as much as women who are more sedentary.

What causes middle-aged spread? If you noticed the scales creeping upward as you get older, it may not be because you are eating more. Middle-aged weight gain is caused by a combination of things such as gradual loss of estrogen, growth hormone and muscle mass. When you are entering menopause or postmenopausal, it is important to maintain as much of your mass as possible. Once women start losing muscle mass they usually start gaining weight.

Hormones and middle-aged weight gain. Estrogen and other hormones play a large role in menopause and middle-aged weight spread. Women usually start gaining weight as their estrogen levels begin to decline. Men experience middle-aged spread similarly to women when their testosterone levels decline. However, women are more susceptible to gaining weight due to the loss of their female hormones. Once a women approaches menopause she usually starts gaining weight.

What is in store for us? It's not written in stone that you will gain weight as you age; some people maintain a healthy weight all their lives. Oftentimes, women who don't experience middle-aged spread during their menopausal years are living healthier lifestyles than women who do experience mid-life weight gain.

Many of us, when we were younger, could eat whatever we wanted without it ever affecting how we looked or felt. You may have noticed as you got older that you can't eat the same way that you did before. You also may have noticed that when you made healthier food choices and added purposeful exercise to your daily life that you felt better. You may have even noticed that you could wear clothes that you haven't been able to wear in a long time.

Can you prevent middle-aged spread? Although, you may not be able to totally prevent middle-aged spread, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of gaining weight in your middle years by making aerobic exercise a regular part of your life. You can go to a gym and work out, if you want to, but it's not necessary. Thirty minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise daily will help you to reduce your middle-aged spread. If you can't get to a gym, you can get quality exercise right at home by walking, running, doing house chores, gardening and other tasks.

Author's note: Some of my friends who are menopausal are thick through their abdomen and hips and have thin arms and legs. As I went into menopause I slowly got larger all over, but I am thickest through the middle. I've noticed that when I make healthy food choices, limit my portion sizes to the recommended serving sizes, and when I get 30 minutes of exercise regularly that the weight starts falling off. I gain muscle mass and start losing fat. I see the same results in my family in friends.

Sources:

Today.msnbc.msn.com

Mayoclinic.com

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