When traveling abroad, you often see many middle-aged Western women who are obese. Looking at their photos from their youth, many of them were slim. Western women, for whom animal fats are a daily part of their diet, experience significant changes in body shape during menopause. As female hormones (estrogen) decrease, weight gain accelerates. In Korea as well, with the increase in high-calorie and high-fat consumption, the number of obese women is rising.

 

The fate of women in menopause... Waist widens, and muscles decrease

 

When women reach menopause, their waist widens, muscle mass decreases, and subcutaneous fat gradually increases. The skin becomes thinner, the breasts decrease in size and sag. Joints and muscles become stiff, leading to joint pain and muscle pain (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data).

Weight gain is also part of the normal aging process that occurs as female hormone secretion decreases. Therefore, managing dietary habits is essential. If you eat high-calorie, high-fat, and high-carbohydrate foods like when you are young, you may gain weight uncontrollably.

You need to increase muscle to burn enough calories in your body... The importance of strength training

 

There is a person who frequently walks to lose weight but complains that it doesn't come off easily. They say that when they reduce their food intake and become hungry, eating food causes their weight to increase easily, and it doesn't decrease well. These people often lack muscle mass, which prevents their bodies from burning enough calories from food. The remaining calories can accumulate, increasing the risk of diabetes.

 

As you age, strength training becomes important. Increasing muscle mass helps you use the calories you consume through meals effectively, manage blood sugar levels, and lose weight.

 

I eat less greasy food but my belly fat remains... "Switch to multigrain rice"

 

Gaining weight is not solely due to fatty foods. Even if you reduce saturated fats, it can be difficult to lose weight if you like carbohydrate-rich foods. I'm not saying you should completely avoid eating them.

Increase the intake of whole grains to reduce triglycerides and cholesterol (LDL) in the body. It is also good for blood sugar control. Moving from mainly white rice to multigrain rice, and choosing whole grain bread, is beneficial for health and helps with weight loss. If multigrains are hard to digest, you should eat rice, but it is better to reduce the amount and eat plenty of vegetables that are not salted.

 

Prevention of heart and brain vascular diseases is the most important... How can I protect my blood vessels?

 

Menopause makes preventing heart and cerebrovascular diseases more important than managing body shape. Of course, losing weight is also good for vascular health. In particular, strokes caused by blocked cerebral blood vessels (ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke) threaten life and can result in disabilities such as paralysis, speech, and vision impairments.

 

When female hormones that protect blood vessels in youth disappear, the rate of blood vessel deterioration can accelerate. It is important to regularly consume whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts, and seaweed to protect the blood vessels. Sugar intake should also be significantly reduced. If you cannot break free from sweet tastes, dieting becomes impossible and blood vessels will worsen. During menopause, both the body and mind need to adapt to the changes.

 

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Getting older is also heartbreaking.

Muscle mass is rapidly decreasing,

They say that fat tends to accumulate mainly around the belly fat.

 

Should I even do belly fat exercises or use a hula hoop?