Why does weight gain happen in menopause?

Many women experience weight gain during menopause, but research suggests that menopause itself may not be to blame.
There are many factors that may contribute to weight gain during this life stage, including changes in:
• body composition
• the gut microbiome
• fat and sugar metabolism
• lifestyle patterns
Lets look at each factor individually

Body composition
As you age, your body composition naturally begins to change. Your lean mass — or muscle mass — decreases, while the rate at which you gain fat mass increases. Where you store fat on your body also changes. Before menopause, women mostly store fat on their hips and thighs. In contrast, men store their fat around the belly. After menopause, fat accumulates around women’s bellies. This is called visceral fat and lies deep inside your belly in the spaces between your abdominal organs. Recent studies have found greater amounts of visceral fat in women who are in perimenopause and those who have gone through menopause.
While menopause may not directly cause weight gain, many scientists believe that changes in your hormone levels contribute to these differences in fat mass and fat distribution
Estragon is one of the main sex hormones in women. During menopause, estragon levels begin to decrease. As estragon leves decrease, the accumulation and distribution of fat changes. A recent study found that the number of fat cells in female participants actually decreased, but the amount of fat stored in each fat cell increased.

Menopause and the gut microbiome
The gut microbiome is the collection of all the microbes that live in your gut. They influence your body’s response to foods and are important for your overall health.
Research suggests that the diversity of the microbiome is linked to estragon levels and menopausal state in women. Because of the changes happening in the body during menopause, there may be a change in microbiome diversity as well.
The world’s largest in-depth nutritional study of its kind explores the relationship between your gut microbiome and your health. The results so far indicate that the gut microbiome is linked with how your body’s metabolism responds to food.
That’s why changes in the microbiome as a result of menopause may contribute to changes in weight

Fat and sugar metabolism
Many studies also suggest that the way your body metabolizes fat changes during menopause. scientists are currently exploring the relationship between menopause and your body’s metabolic responses. Their evidence suggests that it isn’t just fat metabolism that changes during this time. They found that during fasting and after eating, blood sugar, blood fat, and inflammation markers were higher in post-menopausal women than in those who have not yet experienced menopause.

Lifestyle changes
There are biological changes that happen during menopause, but there are behavioural factors that can shift as well. For example, as we age, many of us sleep less or don’t sleep as well, and this can contribute to weight gain. Night sweats in the time leading up to menopause may also make it harder for you to sleep.
Not getting enough sleep can lead to blood sugar spikes after breakfast the following morning. This, in turn, may result in larger blood sugar dips, which increase the likelihood of eating more throughout the day. Getting less physical activity during this life stage is also common and can contribute to weight gain.

Now we know the reason behind menopause weight gain let look at some lifestyle changes we can make to minimise weight gain at this stage of life.
To avoid weight gain during menopause, eat a healthy diet rich in minimally processed foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, legumes, lean protein, healthy fats like olive oil, and healthy fat-rich foods like avocado.
Also, save ultra-processed foods such as baked goods, sugary drinks, and chips or similar snacks for occasional treats to enjoy

Looking after your gut
• Eat plenty of unprocessed or minimally processed plants, including fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, and wholegrains.
• Eat a variety of foods in different colours, your gut microbes like diverse food sources that contain fibre and polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that “good” gut microbes love.
• Aim for 30 different plant foods each week to get that variety.
• Try fermented foods, like unsweetened yogurt, aged cheddar, parmesan, Swiss cheeses like gouda, cottage cheese with live or active cultures, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha.
• Avoid eating late at night to allow your gut bugs to get some time in between meals to clean up the lining of the gut.

Sleep better during menopause by
If you are struggling to sleep long enough, try to go to sleep earlier. This helps prevent blood sugar spikes after breakfast the next morning. If you’ve had a bad night’s sleep, avoid sugary food, and opt for a high-protein or slow-release carbohydrate breakfast instead.
• developing a night-time routine and sleep schedule
• limiting naps in the afternoon
• avoiding devices or TV right before bedtime
• paying attention to how large meals and caffeine later in the day affect your sleep
• exercising regularly during the daytime,

Move more
Moderate-intensity exercise, also known as cardio or aerobic exercise, includes anything that gets your heart rate up.
This can be dancing, actively cleaning the house, swimming, going for a walk, or anything you enjoy. The key is to simply move in a way that gets your heart pumping a little faster.
Muscle strengthening activities make your muscles work harder. Yoga, lifting weights, gardening, and resistance bands are all examples of muscle strengthening activities. As with cardio, move in a way that works for you and your lifestyle.

Summary
Many different factors can influence weight gain during menopause. Changes in fat and sugar metabolism, body composition, the gut microbiome, and lifestyle habits can all affect your weight.
To avoid unwanted weight gain during menopause, be physically active, get plenty of rest, and eat a high-quality diet rich in minimally processed foods that keep you and your gut healthy.
But remember to enjoy your food engaging in the emotional, social, and cultural pleasures of food is also important to overall well-being