What’s the Risk of Gaining Weight?
According to a new study reported in the peer reviewed journal Climacteric (3), investigators suggested that hormonal changes and resulting weight gain due to menopause is characteristic for central or abdominal obesity in addition to a substantial increase in the total body fat stores. This shift in the metabolic physiology has several physical and psychological implications; such as:
Diabetes: The risk of type II diabetes mellitus increases significantly in menopausal females, which can be attributed to high body stores of adipose tissue and abdominal obesity (2).
Cardiovascular diseases: Estrogen is protective against cardiovascular diseases due to its effect on cholesterol metabolism. However, after menopause the risk of cardiovascular diseases aggravates several folds (partly because of low estrogen levels and partly due to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction).
Poor self-esteem and body image: Weight gain and metabolic issues can also influence psychological health. A lot of females tend to develop poor body image due to weight gain and hormonal changes. Needless to say that obese females tend to be less socially and physically active which further deteriorates the mental, emotional and physical health.
Medical weight loss metabolism issues in females
Some degree of weight gain is inevitable with menopause and physiological aging; however, abnormal shift in the body mass index (BMI) can be prevented or managed by physician-superviced medical weight loss programs.
Identifying the cause of weight gain
The first and foremost step in the management of metabolic issues and weight gain is, identification of the primary cause. As discussed previously, with physiological aging, the rate of secretion of several hormones decreases that may lead to weight gain; however, it is very important to learn if the effects are due to the deficiency of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid or any other hormones.
Look for viable options to replace the natural hormones:
If the deficiency of a key hormone is causing abnormal changes in your body and altering your quality of life; you should seek medical help in order to restore the natural hormonal balance.
It is however imperative to keep in mind that not all hormonal replacement therapy options are suitable for every female. For example, conventional estrogen can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke due to clotting problems; which is why BHRT (or bioidentical hormonal replacement therapy) should be considered to maintain a normal quality of life.
A new study conducted by Davis and associates (3) suggests that estrogen replacement aids in restoring normal body weight and physical energy levels; without needing any other weight loss intervention. The study also suggested that hormone replacement also reduces the risk of medical and metabolic health issues that are associated with poor quality of life in menopausal women.
