I hate Julie Wright from Fox 5. ... I don't turn on the TV in the morning; I get my news/traffic ...
When you think of menopause, you might automatically think of hot flashes and mood swings. While a drop in estrogen (which occurs during menopause) certainly causes these symptoms, another notable change many women experience during menopause is weight gain. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, women gain an average of five pounds during menopause. Some women might gain as much as 15 to 25 pounds. Learning how to fight potential weight gain now can make it easier to maintain your body weight for overall better health.
And while one pound seems relatively harmless, that extra poundage is the result of both fat gain and muscle loss, which can put your waistline -- and your health -- at risk. Gaining as little as 4.4 pounds after age 50 could increase your risk of breast cancer by 30 percent, according to Mayo Clinic. Regardless of what number you see on the scale, women's weight through menopause and perimenopause is largely determined by five factors: hormones, diet, exercise, stress and genetics.