How do levels of oestrogen cause obesity in menopausal women and aging men
The high levels of obese post menopausal women and aging men have caused much fascination and have led to in depth studies to determine whether oestrogen levels play a part in the elevating levels of obesity in patients of both genders.
Obesity is an unhealthy accumulation of body fats which increases the risk of medical illnesses and is measured using the body mass index (BMI), where a person’s body weight in kilograms is divided by the square of their height in meters. When women reach menopause(the normal stage of a women’s life whereby the ovaries stop producing oestrogen and progesterone and the menstrual cycle …show more content…
Oestrogen deficiency increases the chance of a postmenopausal woman becoming obese as it decides on the body’s fat distribution. Women begin producing oestrogen in their body fats instead of their gonads once they have reached menopause. Fat is no longer distributed in their lower body but is moved toward their abdomen. Studies have shown that low levels of oestrogen lead to rapid weight gain. The fat that was deposited in the lower body (subcutaneous fat ) now moves to the abdomen (Visceral fat) thus getting rid of the “pear shape “and turning it into the “apple shape ” in …show more content…
This fat is promoted by low Oestrogen levels which deplete during menopause. Visceral fat therefore is a dangerous type of fat as it is linked to certain health problems such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. A study shows that women gained 10 pounds or more after menopause due to a drop in oestrogen levels and a decrease in energy expenditure, which further cements that oestrogen levels do impact an individual’s state of obesity. Most women who gain weight after menopause do not notice a difference in dietary intake. Food therefore has no significant impact on abdominal obesity during menopause like Oestrogen