How does low estrogen lead to weight gain?

1. Fat Storage

As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, fat distribution shifts. During the reproductive years, fat typically accumulates around the hips and thighs. In later years, it accumulates around the midsection. Fat around the waist and belly is visceral, meaning it collects around the organs, increasing risk factors for metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease.

2. Decreased Metabolism and Physical Activity

Estrogen helps regulate metabolism by influencing how the body burns calories. When estrogen levels drop, so does our basal metabolic rate, meaning we burn fewer calories throughout the day. As a result, women gain weight more rapidly and have a much harder time losing it – even when their activity levels and nutrition haven’t changed.

Declining estrogen also comes with a reduction in muscle mass, which further slows metabolism since muscle burns more calories than fat. At the same time, people may exercise less often because declining estrogen levels increase joint pain, fatigue, and other physical discomforts. All of this is a recipe for hormonal weight gain.

3. Appetite and Satiety

Remember leptin and ghrelin? Well, declining levels of estrogen disrupt them too. During menopause, women report feeling hungrier and craving more fatty or sugary foods. Dips in estrogen also affect serotonin, causing changes in mood and an increased appetite for comfort foods like carbs.

4. Insulin Resistance

During menopause, the decline in estrogen is usually accompanied by an increase in insulin resistance. We become less responsive to insulin, causing the body to store more fat around the abdomen and midsection. Hello, new apple-shaped menopausal body!

5. Cortisol Connection

The decrease in sex hormones can create stress the body doesn’t know how to handle, and as a result, cortisol levels may rise. This can further drive an increase in appetite and abdominal fat gain. Sleep disturbances also associated with menopause may increase cortisol levels and appetite too, because sleep-deprived bodies try to re-energize with sugar and carbs. Fatigue makes you even less interested in working out, which leads to a vicious cycle of weight-related concerns.