Ah, those three little words: Middle Aged Spread. Is menopause responsible for it? Does menopause mean that your waistline is doomed? In a word - no. Yes, you are more likely to gain weight as you get older, but this is usually because of aging, not menopause. You can still control your weight in all the usual ways during and after menopause. Think of all the men aged 40-70 you know. Did they put on weight as they got older? We’re willing to bet that they did. In fact, it’s statistically likely that they put on more than their menopausal peers! Was the menopause responsible for their weight gain? Nope. Just natural age-related processes. Both men and women are likely to gain weight in middle age because: ▪️Metabolism slows as you age, so weight piles on faster and takes longer to shift ▪️Muscle mass naturally diminishes the older you get, making you look ‘flabbier’ ▪️All the naughty eating habits of your youth catch up with you! ▪️Your lifestyle and/or job may become more sedentary We’d be lying if we said that menopause has no impact at all on your metabolism. It can change the way your body deals with carbs, for example (if you want to cut your weight at this time of life, carbs are not your friend!) It also changes where weight gained goes - post-menopause, it’s likely that new fat will go to your abdomen. However, these factors are easy to deal with via diet and exercise! By far the largest contributors to weight gain in middle age are the age-related variables mentioned above - not menopause itself. All in all, good news and bad news for this week’s mythbusting! The menopause doesn’t make you fat per se…but age in general might.