Menopause may be to blame for weight gain in older women: study

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

CHICAGO (AFP) — As if the hot flashes and insomnia of menopause weren't bad enough, now comes word that menopause can make you fat.

The declining estrogen levels associated with "the change" can interfere with metabolic processes leading to weight gain, US researchers said Monday, confirming what many women already knew.

The findings seem to support a link between the female sex hormone estrogen and regulation of obesity, especially the dangerous accumulation of abdominal fat linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the study's authors said.

"The accumulation of abdominal fat puts both men and women at heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and insulin resistance," said Deborah Clegg, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of...