An article in the September issue of the primary care edition of the medical journal The Female Patient discusses the relationship of weight gain and menopause. The author, Nanette F. Santeria, MD, Professor and Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine made the following points:

• Many women will experience weight gain around the time of menopause.
• Although it is a common belief that the increase in weight is due to menopause itself and/or HRT this is not supported by scientific evidence.
• It appears that the weight gain is related primarily to aging and lifestyle.
• 2 recent medical studies confirmed that weight gain was lowest in women who used estrogen as compared to non-users.
• Alcohol consumption and exercise are more closely related to weight gain that either menopause or HRT.
• Exercise provides the most benefit in minimizing weight gain.
• Although aerobic and resistance training are both beneficial, resistance training appears to be more effective by increasing lean muscle mass. The more metabolically active lean tissue burns more calories and allows for less drastic cuts in food consumption.

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