Life stages expLained
Howdoesit
affectyou?
Enteringmenopausecanbe
challenging,butmiddle-aged
spreadisnotinevitableduring
thistime.Maintainingahealthy
weightshouldalwaysbeatop
priority,becausegainingtoo
manyunwantedkiloscanhave
seriousimplications,suchas:increasedrisk
ofdisease
Carryingtoomuchweight
directlyincreasesyourriskof
manyseriouschronicdiseases.
Theseincludeheartdisease,
insulinresistance,diabetes,
sleepapnea,fattyliverand
anumberofcancers,such
aspost-menopausalbreast
cancerandlivercancer.Worsenedmenopause
symptoms
Weightgaincanexacerbate
somesymptomsexperienced
duringmenopause.Increased
weightcanworsenjointpain,
hotflushesandnightsweats.peri-menopause
The time-span when menopause symptoms arrive. It usually
occurs in a woman’s 40s, and can last from just a few years
to more than a decade. Progesterone — a hormone produced
by the ovaries — slowly declines. In early peri-menopause,
oestrogen levels are erratic, while in late peri-menopause,
oestrogen levels are low, and periods become irregular.pre-menopause
The30-to-40years
followingtheonset
ofpubertywhena
womanisfertileand
canreproduce.increased visceraL fat
An expanding waistline is more
dangerous than gaining weight
around the hips and the thighs.
That’s because fat clustering
around the abdomen can wrap
around vital organs — this is
called visceral fat. This fat has
a much greater effect on your
metabolism and disease risk
than the fat lying immediately
under the skin (which is called
subcutaneous fat).
A strong correlation is known
to exist between people�s waist
circumferences and the amount
of visceral fat they have — so most
women should aim for a waistline
measurement of less than 80cm.The average
woman gains
half a kilo a
year between
45 and 55
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