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.
Many women do put on weight around the menopause, but it's not inevitable and your weight shouldn't keep going up. It's estimated that the 'average' woman puts on about 5lb after the menopause, but it doesn't all go on straight away. Certainly your metabolism does tend to slow down as you get older, so you burn up fewer calories. However, with small adjustments in your diet, you may well be able to avoid putting on weight. The bad news is that even if you don't put on weight, you might find that the menopause does cause your shape to change. There is evidence that you tend to shift more towards an 'apple' rather than a 'pear' shape around the menopause, with excess weight stored around your midriff. This can increase your risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes. HRT is very effective at treating hot flushes.