To wonder why so many post menopausal women are overweight?

[Fruitandnutqueen]

My friend and I are both 44 and love to sit and people watch.
One conversation and observation we make regularly is the fact we notice there appears to be a high percentage of women, late 40's plus, who are overweight.
Last week I was on a campsite where the majority of the people where 50+ and most of them were quite overweight.
We are coming to the conclusion that it's either menopausal hormones and we'll have no control over the bulge attack when the time comes (not long now ) or that most people hit that age and think 'oh fuck it, life's too short!' and just eat and drink to their hearts content.
I suppose there are probably just as many men that age overweight too, but I can't help but notice women I know who were previously slim, hit that age group and expand quite a bit!
Just wonder if it's inevitable?

Fuck sage we had 'why do people snack' yesterday.

'Genuine curiosity' OP? Have you heard of this thing called Google? Ah, it's probably not goady enough.

Fuck sake not sage

I'm 54 and have put on loads of weight in the last 10 years.

I have recently caught up with some school friends my age who, unlike me, have never had DC. Without exception they are bigger than me.

I've always been slim and now I'm in my 50s I've put on a lot of weight around my middle which I'm trying hard to lose, but it's not easy. I hate it and it makes me feel old and frumpy. But I'm determined to tackle it and do the best I can to lose it, mainly for health reasons (although I'm drinking a glass of wine in the garden as I type this!!)

Who knew it was a thing that people would ponder over......

Where I work, all the women in their 50s are fit, exercise regularly and are of average weight. The only overweight women are in their 30s and 40s.

I keep repeating to myself 'eat for maintenance and not growth'.

I eat far less than I used to in my 20s and 30s. I do not need the same amount of calories.

It's not inevitable. It depends on the individual. I am post menopausal and not overweight.
I keep active and eat healthily. Hormonal changes do have an effect but you won't put weight on if you adjust.

My mother in law (who in my opinion still has a lovely figure and is only a little overweight) feels very unhappy with her shape since the menopause she has a very active lifestyle and a really good diet but she has gained roughly a stone and her shape especially the waist stomach area has changed.

She hasn't done anything to cause it! In the spectrum of shapes and sizes she is still very much at the healthy end with in my opinion a lovely figure but to her who had a great figure all her life she feels huge and self conscious.

Gosh I wonder whether the changes in oestrogen due to menopause and natural loss of muscle mass as you age have anything to do with it?

In the 2 years around menopause, my weight changed from 7st 7lb to 8st 13lb. That was 10 years ago and it's now stable at about 8st 7lb.

I think ones metabolic rate does change after menopause. I used to be able to eat anything I liked, but now I have to exercise some control and be sensible.

Not all post-menopause women are overweight - and not all elderly women are skinny. My DM is 90 and still a size 16 (though interestingly, she was a size 10 until menopause).

It isn't cause and effect.
I had been the same weight for 35 years but since the menopause have lost half a stone. No idea why, I have never counted a calorie or dieted in my life.
I agree with the poster above that when I look around the most noticeable overweight cohort seem to be young women in their 20s.

The day I turned 50, a spare tyre appeared. But i was not eating or drinking any differently.
So I stare at the tyre every day, and every day I decide that the pain I would have to suffer to get rid of it just isn't worth it.
So I guess I am in the 'sod it' group, but not because I 'm eating and drinking more, just because I'm not prepared to reduce my calories to the level needed to get rid of that tyre.

I do think you're being unreasonable and even judgemental about weight.

Menopause is a time of huge change and if, for one of many reasons, a woman has to take HRT for a long time, it does often seem to be harder to control weight. Of course, there may be many other factors to be taken into account, too. I hope that you don't have any problems when your time comes, OP!

Well....i ponder this too and I'm one of those women.

Apparently as you she, you lose muscle which in turn decreases metabolism. This makes it harder to lose weight. It's not impossible though.

I'm slimmer than all my school friends . But it's hard. And relentless. And Yes, I'm sure there are those who're no longer interested in the constant battle. Just you wait Op.

age ffs.

IME menopause can cause tiredness, apathy and a serious lack of confidence, added to the fack that metabolism starts to slow at middle age. I feel less inclined to exercise but gain weight more easily.
Menopause is just wonderful OP can't wait 'til you reach it.

I don't think elderly women get skinny, more a case of very fat women dont get elderly. I think its a bit of both, as you get older you to think fuck it a bit but also by mid fifties, as a woman at least, it is harder to lose weight.

Im 44 and a size 14. I was a size 28 at 28. Losing weight hasnt turned me into a judgemental fuckwit though.

Oh and i have lipodema. Google it.

My weight went up quite a bit when I was perimenapausal, good intentions of lifestyle change but then arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteo arthritis kicked in and now, 6 years on I'm post menopausal, overweight still and barely able to walk to the front door these days.

The effects of the menopause are very far reaching and you can't attribute being overweight to menopause alone.

Good luck when it's your turn!

I don't see the problem with this question: the op is a woman who will reach this age herself, what is the problem with noticing and asking?

How lovely for the women you see that you and your friend were discuss how terribly fat they are.

That's not people watching OP, that's being a massive "mean girl"

I'm not shaming

No of course not

I'm over 50 and both slimmer and fitter than I've been in a long time.

But if you just keep eating as you did when younger, once you reach the age when your need for calories reduces (normal part of ageing, but obviously can vary quite a lot between individuals as to when it hits) then your weight will increase.

This applies to both sexes, btw. But happens at about the same time the menopause arrives in the typical/average woman. And can bring all sorts of other bodily embuggerations

Here OP Educate yourself.

www.talklipoedema.org/about-lipoedema/

June is lipodema awareness month #bloominglegs

Maybe you and your friend should get a fucking life and stop gawping at women all day.