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Most women over age fifty will become aware that menopause and weight gain are naturally connected in their bodies. At age fifty weight gain speeds up and while some of this may be due to lifestyle changes, it does not explain why suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body. Specifically around the abdomen area while any weight gained when we were younger tended to be centered in the hip area. Fact is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in the new order of weigh distribution. However, the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone, estrogen, which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and, a good argument can be made, that it is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women at childbearing age tend to store fat in the lower part of the body, at menopause the body tends to store fat in the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease. Collectively, both men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and as their metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will more than likely find that your weight loss battle will increase. A person at age sixty does not need as many calories as a person at age forty. Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women may be alarmed to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies. If you find that you are gaining weight at the onset of menopause, there are a few things you can do. - Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber and avoid sugar. - Exercise regularly. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no toddlers to chase after, vacations are less active and we tend to do things slower. Thirty minutes of moderate cardio vascular exercise every day will help to balance out the effect of this and increase weight loss. - Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs. - Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs that is fine. Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels warrant concern. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of menopause and weight gain.