Wellness Corner

Many women struggle with weight gain once they go through menopause. Arguments have been made that this is due to the hormonal changes that the body goes through during this period of aging. However, one nutrition expert says that's not quite the case.

George Blackburn is the associate director of the Harvard Medical School nutrition division. He is also the co-author of a new researched bookon the topic of weight loss (Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off), in which he address the possible menopause myth. He says:

"Women sometimes believe hormonal changes during menopause cause weight gain, but research doesn't bear that out. Instead, it appears that the middle-aged spread is caused by increased eating and a slower metabolism because of decreased activity levels."

Whatever the reason, we do know that many women have to deal with menopause-related weight gain. Blackburn's suggestion is something called the "ten percent rule" which you apply towards the goal of resetting your "set point". The summary is that you aim to lose ten percent of your current weight and then maintain that weight for at least six months in order to reset what your body thinks should be your ideal weight.

You can learn more about this here.

Question of the Day: What do you think causes the link between menopause and weight gain?

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