When you are close to menopause, you may experience weight gain. This weight gain is related to the drop in your body’s hormones. In an interview with Foxnews, Dr Jennifer Landa (OBGYN) explains why women gain weight during menopause and what to do about it.
Why Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain?
According to Dr Landa “Estrogen is the primary female hormone and when it begins to tank between your mid 40s- mid 50s, the way you burn and store fat also changes. Menopausal weight gain tends to accumulate around the middle, giving women that apple shape we detest so much.” Belly fat put you at risk for serious health problems such as insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer according to Dr Jennifer Landa.
What is the solution for weight gain during menopause?
According to Dr Landa, diet and exercise is not enough to offset the estrogen deficiency that can cause weight gain during menopause. The solution is bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
Is Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) safe?
Dr Landa explains that many women miss out on the relief BHRT provides because of the controversies out there. Conventional HRT (synthetic hormones) was shown to increase breast cancer risk, heart attack and other problems for women in the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study (WHI). Dr Landa believes that some doctors assumed that all hormone replacement therapist is unsafe. The WHI study participants were taking synthetic hormones, non-bio-identical hormones. Synthetic hormones are different from what your body produces and there create higher risks.
Bio-identical hormone medications are only available with prescription from your doctor. You may consider seeing a hormone specialist with additional training in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. If you would like a referral, give us a call and we would be happy to recommend you to one of the trusted doctors we work with.