What causes the weight change in menopause?
No one knows for sure but it is suspected that the rise in some of the brain hormones that react to the elevated Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing Hormone (LH) are responsible. These hormones sense the increased activity produced by the LH and FSH and increase also. One of the hormones that increase in this way is ACTH, which produces cortisol by the adrenal gland. Similarly, cortisol will cause you to put on weight around the middle section of your body even when your diet has not changed. We know that ACTH rises with menopause after the FSH and LH rise. It may be that the strategy for losing or preventing the weight gain in menopause is to prevent the rise of ACTH by preventing the rises of LH and FSH. This is possible with natural hormone replacement. Artificial hormones currently do not prevent the rise of these hormones and there is much anecdotal evidence that the natural hormones do (see Susanne Summer’s book – the sexy years). Theoretically, normal levels of est
