Midlife Weight Gain: Is It Menopause or Lifestyle?
Karen Turner calls it “The Big Fat M.” Menopause has affected her moods, her body temperature and her weight. Especially her weight. “It has been like heck to get it off,” she says of her “belly weight.” “There’s that middle section that just nothing helps, unless you go and suck it out and cheat and have the money to do it,” says Turner, 48. Turner’s lament is common among women in their 40s and 50s whose weight seems to continually creep upward, even if they aren’t eating or exercising differently. But two local physicians say they aren’t convinced that women’s hormones are entirely to blame. “This is a controversial subject,” says family practice physician Alyson Thal. “Women will blame anything besides what they need to blame.” “I’m not a big believer in hormonal weight gain,” agrees Rebecca Shoden, a obstetrician and gynecologist. “I think some things can encourage weight gain more than others.” So, what’s happening here? Women aren’t just imagining that their waistbands are tight
