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menopause extra pounds

Why menopause
equals extra pounds


Low estrogen results in increased food intake, study finds

MSNBC
 


In a possible explanation of why many women gain weight after menopause, a U.S. researcher said on Wednesday that monkeys whose ovaries are removed eat 67 percent more food and gain 5 percent of body weight in just weeks.æ
 
 

Nov. 12, 2003

Removing the ovaries induces immediate menopause by cutting off estrogen, the so-called female hormone, said Judy Cameron of Oregon Health & Science University.

Reporting to a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans, Cameron said she may be able to help explain why so many women begin to gain weight as they go through menopause, even though many try not to.

"When women go through the menopause ... women aged 40 to 60 gain weight. But there are also lifestyle changes",Cameron said in a telephone interview.

Separating biology from lifestyle in a study is difficult, she said, and researchers have been unable to say definitively why women put on pounds.

Monkeys provide a great model because they have 28-day menstrual cycles like humans and also go through menopause, she said.

"THESE ANIMALS ARE CHUBBY"

Her team removed the ovaries of 19 out of 47 monkeys at Oregon Health & Science University. "Low estrogen in primates clearly results in more food intake," she said.

"In the first two months, they had a 67 percent increase in food intake. These animals are chubby," she said. "Their midriffs get a little bit heavier," she added.

"Additionally, we noted an increase of the hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells and has been shown to play a role in food intake."

Estrogen gets into the brain, she noted, and could easily affect appetite.

 
 

Making sense of menopause

All women eventually experience menopause and as baby boomers grow older, greater numbers of women than ever before are in the midst of this phase of their lives. Because recent studies have shown once-popular hormone treatments for menopause can have detrimental consequences, it is important for women to evaluate their personal health with their doctors to determine the best way to manage symptoms. When women go through menopause, they no longer have menstrual periods and their ovaries stop releasing eggs and dramatically reduce their production of estrogen. Menopause can occur either naturally, between the ages of 41 and 59 years of age, or through medical intervention at an earlier age. Natural menopause simply means that the ovaries shut down on their own, not as a result of medical intervention. Women experience natural menopause at an average age of 51, but it can start earlier or later.

Natural menopause occurs in three stages:

Perimenopause: During this stage, which begins 8 to 10 years before menopause, the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen. Although fertility is lower, women can still become pregnant.

Menopause: This is the point when a woman has her last menstrual period. Menopause is confirmed when a women has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.

Postmenopause: The years after menopause, during which time hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause may decrease. Induced menopause is an immediate reaction that occurs after the following medical interventions:

* Surgical removal of both ovaries (often as part of a hysterectomy)

* Cancer chemotherapy

* Pelvic radiation therapy

* Treatment with hormone-altering drugs

Women experience different symptoms as they move through menopause. Here are some of the most common ones:

* Changes in menstrual cycle

* Hot flashes

* Insomnia

* Fatigue

* Headaches

* Emotional changes

Hot flashes are a very common symptom of menopause and may start before any menstrual changes occur. During a hot flash, women may experience nausea, dizziness and sweating, they may feel warm between the chest and head, and their skin may turn reddish. Hot flashes can last from a few seconds to an hour, and are more common at night.

Though hormone replacement therapy was once widely recommended for menopausal women, recent studies have shown that the treatment can raise the risks of heart attack and breast cancer. Still, some doctors may prescribe hormones temporarily to women with severe symptoms.

Some other options:

* Avoid alcohol and caffeine
* Stop smoking
* Dress in layers
* Keep room temperatures cool
* Wear fabrics that allow the body to "breathe" (e.g. cotton)
* Use cotton or silk sheets
* Drink cold water
* Avoid spicy foods
* Exercise to improve sleep, boost mood and reduce stress
* If you are bothered by hot flashes or mood disturbances, talk with your doctor about whether antidepressants may help.

Source: AAFP, Mayo Clinic, NAMS
 
 

Mysteriously, some of the monkeys were able to eat much more without gaining much more weight, while others gained large amounts of weight. "There was very little correlation between what the animals were eating and how much weight they gained," she said.

Here was the perfect opportunity to test an idea that dieting women have heard for years - that eating at night puts more weight on than daytime eating.

Like people, the monkeys had different eating habits.

"Some eat only daytime meals, she said. ñSome get 60 percent of their calories by snacking at night."

That made no difference.

ñNighttime eaters were not any more likely to gain weight, she said.

EFFECTS ON METABOLISM

Cameron's team is testing the metabolisms of the monkeys to see if the lack of estrogen affected that.

"The findings can help biologists try to track down what effects estrogen has on appetite and metabolism, but it also may be immediately useful," Cameron said.

"People ask, 'So what?'", she said. It offers an excuse, but it also offers knowledge. "You need to be aware that as you go through menopause, there is going to be a growing desire for food."

Menopausal women can watch what they eat and exercise more, she said.

"Perhaps most importantly, this research pertains to the countryÍs worsening obesity epidemic," she said. "Currently about 30 percent of Americans are considered obese."

Cameron said she was certain drug companies were working on safer replacements for hormone replacement therapy and perhaps could reformulate them to battle menopausal weight gain.

© 2003 Reuters Limited.