Women do gain weight after 40. They may have been slim when young, but as they grow older they tend to put on weight.
Table of Contents
1. Hormonal Imbalance:
This is indeed the most obvious reason why women do start gaining weight after the age of 40. This is the peri-menopause stage when the ovaries start reducing their production of estrogen. With reduced estrogen, the body also tends to retain fat, so that it can maintain normal hormonal balance and this leads to weight gain.
2. Reduced Levels of Progesterone:
As women approach menopause, the body does reduce the production of progesterone. While reduced levels of progesterone do not cause one to gain fat, they do contribute to bloating and water retention which does add to one’s weight and also gives one a shock when one weighs oneself.
3. Increased Appetite:
Hormone levels changes do increase one’s appetite and hunger. This will indeed cause one to eat more than normal and as we all know, overeating is one of the main reasons for weight gain.
4. Aging:
As one grows older metabolism slows down. Unfortunately, every single woman does experience this problem. Once the metabolism slows down, one’s body does burn fewer calories and one will end up accumulating unwanted fat around one’s waist.
5. Insulin Resistance:
After crossing 40, in case one’s diet consists of white sugar and processed foods, one’s body cells to become resistant to insulin. This causes one’s body to store fat, thus resulting in weight gain. Of course, this is something to worry about as insulin resistance does lead to Type 2 diabetes.
6. Stress:
Women cross their 40s do have to cope up with more stress. They are worried about their kids, retirement and possibly health. When one is stressed, one’s adrenal glands will indeed produce cortisol to combat the stress. Unfortunately, while one’s body is able to cope with stress, cortisol does prevent weight loss, so most efforts to lose those extra pounds are of no use.
7. Your Body Composition:
As women near menopause, they do lose muscle mass but also retain body fat. Initially, one will not notice a difference in one’s weight, but as the body loses more muscle mass, the basal metabolism does slow down. One starts gaining fat all over one’s body, resulting in weight gain.
8. Lack of Appropriate Physical Activity:
Most women, after they cross 40, do not indulge in an intense physical activity which helps burn calories in order to reduce body fat. As one lowers the intensity of exercises and physical activities, women put on weight like never before.
9. Poor Eating Habits:
Once women cross the age of 40, their lives to become more complicated. They do worry about work, aging parents and kids. They are busy managing different aspects of their lives and many women tend to skip meals or do not pay much attention to what they are eating. As a result, they overeat or consume larger portions that normally do cause them to put on weight.
10. Medications:
Many women face health problems after the age of 40 and take prescription medications. Many of these cause weight gain. These include anti-depressants as well as corticosteroids.