Hormone Therapy Weight Gain

“It is a myth that Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
causes weight gain, although some women might
experience some fluid retention. On the contrary, MHT…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy Weight Gain Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  • Menopause Weight Gain

Weight Gain

Is there an association between hormone therapy (HT) and weight gain?

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT the (United Kingdom) NHS note:

“There’s little evidence that most types of HRT make you put on weight.

You may gain some weight during the menopause and as you get older, but this often happens whether you take HRT or not”.2

In Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause: Main Points – Lifestyle Choices and Ageing Are the Main Cause of Weight Gain After Menopause, dated 05 September 2025, the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) include:

“It is a myth that Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) causes weight gain, although some women might experience some fluid retention. On the contrary, MHT can decrease the accumulation of abdominal fat after menopause. The good news is that making healthy lifestyle choices can help you to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight and improve your future health. Healthy choices help at any age, but are even more important around the time of menopause”.3

Other Causes

If HT does not cause weight gain, what may?

In 9 Myths and Misunderstandings About Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT): 1. Misunderstanding – MHT Will Make You Put on Weight, dated 05 September 2025, the AMS explain:

“Women who use MHT do not gain any more weight than women who do not use MHT. Ageing, social, lifestyle and medical factors are the main causes of midlife weight gain. The hormonal changes of menopause do cause fat to move from the hips to the abdomen”.4

Lifestyle Choices

Can lifestyle choices help with a healthy weight?

The AMS encourage us to make healthy lifestyle choices:

“The good news is that making healthy lifestyle choices can help you to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight and improve your future health. Healthy choices help at any age, but are even more important around the time of menopause”.5 

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy Weight Gain?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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Links

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New or Updated

  1. 9 Myths and Misunderstandings About Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT): 1. Misunderstanding – MHT Will Make You Put on Weight
  2. BMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  3. BMS TV: Menopause – Weight Gain, Nutrition and Lifestyle
  4. Can You Have HRT If You Are Overweight?
  5. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  6. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important
  7. Deciding About Hormone Therapy
  8. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Weight Gain and Metabolic Health In Menopause: A Multidisciplinary Approach
  9. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  10. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  11. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  12. HRT
  13. HRT Questions Answered
  14. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  15. HRT: Summary
  16. Hormone Replacement Therapy
  17. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  18. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Alternatives To Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  19. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT
  20. Hormone Therapy: Four Things A Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Specialist Wants You To Know [+ Video]
  21. Hormone Therapy: Four Things A Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Specialist Wants You To Know [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Name Super/CG: Taryn Smith, M.D./Internal Medicine/Mayo Clinic]
  22. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  23. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?
  24. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
  25. Joint Position Statement by the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  26. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?] [Other Languages and Formats]
  27. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause
  28. Looking At HRT In Perspective
  29. Maintaining A Healthy Diet and Weight
  30. Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause
  31. Mayo Clinic Minute: Perimenopause and Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  32. Hormone Therapy Weight GainMenopause
  33. Menopause
  34. Menopause Checklist Podcast: Episode 9 Weighty Issues
  35. Menopause Management Options
  36. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  37. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
    Hormone Therapy Weight Gain
  38. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  39. Menopause: Things You Can Do
  40. Midlife Weight Gain
    Hormone Therapy Weight Gain
  41. Midlife Weight Gain Can Start Long Before Menopause – but You Can Take Steps Early on To Help Your Body Weather the Hormonal Shift
  42. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: 7 Tips: Know the Facts About Supplements Marketed for Weight Loss
  43. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  44. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  45. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  46. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Sponsored Symposia – Weight, Wellness, and Women At Midlife: Rethinking Obesity In the Menopause Transition
  47. Resources: Fact Sheets – Healthy Eating [Multiply Languages]
    Hormone Therapy Weight Gain
  48. Risks and Benefits of MHT
  49. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  50. The Mediterranean Diet and Menopausal Health: An EMAS Position Statement
  51. The Menopause Society Show: Menopause and Weight Gain
  52. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
  53. Video & Podcast Library: Videos – World Menopause Day 2024: Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  54. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  55. Weight Changes During the Perimenopause and Menopause | Dr Louise Newson
  56. Weight Gain and Menopause
  57. Weight Management Through A Woman’s Life Stages: A Practical Evidence-Based Guide
  58. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
    Hormone Therapy Weight Gain
  59. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women – The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  60. World Menopause Day 2025 [18 October]
    Hormone Therapy Weight Gain

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause: Main Points – Lifestyle Choices and Ageing Are the Main Cause of Weight Gain After Menopause. 05 September 2025. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/9-myths-and-misunderstandings-about-mht Accessed: 26 February 2026
  2. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT. Last Reviewed: 03 January 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/side-effects-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/#weight-gain-and-hrt Accessed: 26 February 2026
  3. Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause: Main Points – Lifestyle Choices and Ageing Are the Main Cause of Weight Gain After Menopause. 05 September 2025. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/9-myths-and-misunderstandings-about-mht Accessed: 26 February 2026
  4. 9 Myths and Misunderstandings About Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT): 1. Misunderstanding – MHT Will Make You Put on Weight. 05 September 2025. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/9-myths-and-misunderstandings-about-mht Accessed: 26 February 2026
  5. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT. Last Reviewed: 03 January 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/side-effects-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/#weight-gain-and-hrt Accessed: 26 February 2026
 Topic Last Updated: 26 February 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 26 February 2026

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