What Are the Causes of Weight Gain in Older Women?

When a woman enters into peri-menopause then becomes fully menopausal, her hormones initially fluctuate wildly then cease to function. Unless a woman experiences early onset menopause, she is probably middle-aged or beyond when she enters into menopause. Many older women experience weight gain at this time of life.

Less Active, Slower Metabolism

• Both men and women tend to gain weight as they age because they become less active and their metabolism is naturally slowing down. If a woman becomes lax regarding exercise, she loses muscle, which is replaced with fat, which slows down the speed at which calories are burned.

Change in Body Shape

• Because of the change in hormonal activity, when a woman does gain weight during menopause the weight tends to accumulate around the belly rather than on the thighs and hips. The hormone estrogen is stored in fat. When you enter menopause it may be that the body is trying to hang onto estrogen, which is dwindling, and does so by holding onto the fat cells. When androgens, which are male hormones, increase in a woman just as her estrogen is lowering, this can result in male features, such as a fat belly. When progesterone levels drop this causes water retention and bloating, which makes you look bigger. If your blood sugar is fluctuating, this can slow down your metabolic rate and increase your appetite. When hormones decrease, this may make it harder to burn calories, particularly when at rest.

Genetic Predisposition

• If your mother and grandmothers gained weight after menopause, you may be genetically predisposed to do the same, explains the Mayo Clinic, so you are going to have to be diligent about keeping the weight off.

Sleep

• Consider how much you are sleeping, Older women who sleep five or fewer hours a night weigh more than women who sleep seven hours, notes Seniorjournal.com. At present, the medical community isn't sure why reduced sleep results in weight gain. However, it could be that less sleep affects a person's metabolic rate and the amount of calories that the person burns when at rest. Another possibility is that those who sleep less may move around less and burn fewer calories. Involuntary activity called NEAT or non-exercise associated thermogenesis, which includes fidgeting, being jittery and standing instead of sitting, may occur less often in those who sleep fewer hours.

Health Hazards

• Gaining weight when a woman is post menopausal is hazardous to her health. It can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and an increased chance of varying kinds of cancer, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer.