Many studies have been conducted to determine what effect aging, and menopause have on women. Not only do middle-aged women experience hormonal changes, but the side effect can sometimes be additional fat in the abdominal area. The aging process, genetic factors, lifestyle changes and changes in diet, are all factors of this dreaded, seemingly sudden weight gain. As in life, there are certain factors that may be controlled, and others which may not. The trick is to work with what you can change, to get the desired result.
Middle-aged women may experience a decreasing level of estrogen. Estrogen refers to three different sex hormones. Estrone, estriol, and estradiol are steroidal hormones made from cholesterol, that make up estrogen. It is produced by the ovaries, and its function is to stimulate ovulation. Estrogen affects the development and health of the reproductive system as well as the breast tissue. Middle-aged women experiencing perimenopause, and menopause, produce less estrogen. The body tries to compensate for the decrease in estrogen, by producing more from fat cells. In order for the cells to make more estrogen, the cells must store more fat, therefore slowing the body's metabolism, which leads to weight gain. When the body's metabolism is slowed down, the fat cells are not transformed into energy as quickly, and the fat is stored in the cells. When you lose weight, you lose estrogen, and your body is alerted that it needs to produce more, starting the cycle all over again. That is why it is so difficult to keep the weight off, while dieting.
Weight loss also creates a fluctuation in the levels of other hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. Leptin signals your brain, indicating that you are full, and ghrelin stimulates hunger. Leptin will decrease with a drop in body-fat percentage, while ghrelin levels will increase. So if you have less leptin, you will continue to feel hungry, and increased ghrelin continues to stimulate your hunger. Androgen is a hormone which also affects weight gain around the abdomen. Testosterone, a steroid from the androgen group, is the hormone that helps create lean muscle, and boosts metabolism. With weight loss, this hormone is also decreased. Muscle mass decreases, and the speed in which fat is transformed into energy is decreased due to lower levels of testosterone. These hormone levels continue to fluctuate even a year after losing weight, so it is important to maintain your dieting habits in order to keep the weight from coming back.
Fat cells make up highly complex tissue, to coordinate the storage of fat and to regulate metabolic processes. These cells secrete hormones and proteins, regulate the reproductive system, and indicate to the body when it is time to make more, to maintain a constant number in the body. When you lose weight, you do not reduce the number of fat cells, they just reduce in size. When fat cell shrink, triglycerides are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. The fatty acids and glycerols are absorbed by the liver, kidneys, and muscles. They are further broken down to produce energy for your body. The number of fat cells in your body is established during puberty. The more calories that you burn, the more your body uses the fat cells for energy. So, shrinking the fat cells, is the goal of any weight-loss program. Then you must deal with the fluctuating hormones, signaling to your brain that you are still hungry.
The middle-aged woman's bulge is not just a concern because of vanity. It has very pronounced effects on the body. Increased abdominal fat may lead to heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Metabolism decreases with age, and that is a normal aging process. Genetic pre-disposition to obesity is also a factor, so it cannot be said that hormones exclusively cause the middle age bulge. It is a factor to be considered however, and although hormone-replacement therapy, or HRT is available, it has been found to have possible dangerous side effects. Many of the studies conducted suggest that long-term treatments are necessary to counteract changes in hormones, and to reduce appetite. It seems that the best way to lose the additional pounds is by a sustainable lifestyle choice, physical activity, and a healthy diet.
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