“Menopause itself does not cause weight gain;
it unfortunately just occurs during a stage of life
when other factors are likely to”.1
Umbrella
What may the Menopause Weight Gain Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Belly Fat
- Menopause Weight Gain
- “Menopot”
- “Middle Age Spread”
Midlife Weight Gain
What is the association between midlife and weight gain?
On page one in Midlife Weight Gain: What Causes Weight Gain In Midlife?, published 2025, the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) elaborate on:
- Aging and metabolism…
- Hormone changes…
- Lifestyle factors…”.2
Menopause
Does menopause cause weight gain?
In Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: So Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain?, published 12 March 2023, the author explains:
When it comes to menopause and weight, it’s weight redistribution – not weight gain – that is actually a symptom. Research has confirmed menopause is linked to an increase in belly fat but not an increase in overall weight”.3
Weight Redistribution
What is the association between weight redistribution and menopause?
On page one in Midlife Weight Gain the Menopause Society also note:
Weight Gain
Is there an association between weight gain and menopause?
In Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: So Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain?, the author also notes:
In Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: Benefits of A Healthy Weight At Menopause the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) explain:
On page one in Weight Gain and Menopause the (British) Women’s Health Concern include:
Hormone Therapy
Is there an association between hormone therapy and weight gain?
In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT the (United Kingdom) NHS note:
You may gain some weight during the menopause and as you get older, but this often happens whether you take HRT or not”.8
Menopause Symptoms
Is there an association between belly fat and menopause symptoms?
In Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: Risks of Belly Fat the JH note:
Health Risks
Is there an association between visceral fat and health risks?
In Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: Risks of Belly Fat the JH explain:
Excess visceral fat is linked to:
- An increased risk of heart disease (one of the leading causes of death for women in Australia)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Breast cancer
- Dementia”.10
Healthy Weight
How can a healthy weight be maintained?
In Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: What You Can Do the JH elaborate on:

- Eat a healthy diet…
- Do regular physical activity…
- Prioritise sleep…
- Reduce or stop drinking alcohol…11.
In Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: The Bottom Line: Can We Prevent Weight Gain During Menopause? the author elaborates on:
Start with these six steps:
- Incorporate daily exercise into your routine, with a mixture of…
- Stop dieting…
- Curb your sugar cravings naturally…
- Create positive habits to minimise comfort-eating…
- Eat slowly and away from distractions…
- Switch off your technology for a minimum of one hour before bed to improve sleep quality”.12
In The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain: What’s the Best Way To Prevent Menopause Weight Gain? the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:
- Move more…
- Eat less…
- Check your sweet habit…
- Limit alcohol…
- Seek support…”.13
Health Care Provider
What if I would like support with weight loss?
If you would like support with weight loss, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.
In Weight Control the (United States) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) elaborate on:
“If you’re thinking about starting a new weight-loss program, talk with your health care provider, who can assess your weight and health risks, determine whether you need to lose weight, and provide information that will help you make informed decisions about an effective weight-loss program”.14
In Weight Control: Safety the NCCIH also caution:
- “If you’re considering a dietary supplement for weight loss, remember that “natural” does not necessarily mean “safe””.15
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Menopause Weight Gain?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Menopause Weight Gain?
Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- Berberine: What It Is, Benefits and Side Effects [10 June 2025]
- Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important [February 2025]
- Hormones, Nutrition and Metabolism In Menopause [15 September 2025]
- Midlife Weight Gain [March 2025]
- The Role of Lifestyle Medicine In Menopausal Health: Factsheet 1: Healthy Eating In Midlife & Menopause [October 2025]
- Weight Changes During the Perimenopause and Menopause | Dr Louise Newson [February 2024]
- 14 Ways To Lose Belly Fat
- A Healthy Weight
- 5 Ways To Rethink What A ‘Balanced Diet’ Means
- Aim for A Healthy Weight
- Attention To Nutrition, Exercise Can Combat Weight Gain, Other Symptoms In Menopause
- BMI
- BMS TV: Menopause – Weight Gain, Nutrition and Lifestyle
- Belly Fat In Women: Taking – and Keeping – It Off
- Berberine: What It Is, Benefits and Side Effects
- Break the Bonds of Emotional Eating
- Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important
- Dairy Foods, Weight Change, and Risk of Obesity During the Menopausal Transition
- Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss
- Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight?
- Does Keto Help Menopause?
- Does Metabolism Matter In Weight Loss?
- Exercise Calorie Calculator
- Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In New Video
- Five Dietary Tweaks for Women Over 50: From Two Food Experts
- Food Diary – How To Keep Track of What You Eat
- HRT Questions Answered
- Healthy Eating Plans for Women
- Healthy Eating Tips
- Healthy Eating When Trying To Lose Weight
- Healthy Eating and Women
- Healthy Weight and Growth: How Overweight and Obesity Impacts Your Health
- Healthy Weight and Growth: Steps for Losing Weight
- Healthy Weight and Growth: Tips for Maintaining Healthy Weight
- Help! I’m Too Tired To Exercise
- Helping Patients Lose Weight During Menopause
- Hormones, Nutrition and Metabolism In Menopause
- How Many Calories Should You Eat In A Day?
- How To Beat Weight Gain At Menopause
- How To Increase Your Metabolism for Weight Loss
- How To Combat Menopausal Weight Gain | This Morning
- Is It Safe To Use Herbal Weight Loss Supplements?
- Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
- Is the Keto Diet Right for You? A Mayo Expert Weighs In
- Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause
- Looking To Stay Fuller, Longer? Try These Healthy, Filling Foods
- Making Healthier Eating Choices At Home, At the Store, and Eating Out
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Combating Weight Gain During Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Health Consequences of Obesity [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Weight Loss and Willpower [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What’s the Skinny on Weight-Loss Drugs? [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Q & A: Supporting Weight-Loss Medications With Adequate, Tailored Nutrition
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Gaining Weight During Menopause
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: Is Intermittent Fasting A Helpful Practice or Health Risk?
- Menopausal Women May Benefit From Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic, Wegovy
- Menopause
- Menopause Checklist Podcast: Episode 9 Weighty Issues
- Menopause Diet: What To Eat To Help Manage Symptoms
- Menopause Map: My Personal Path Print Tools – Questions for Your Health Care Provider
Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause Weight Gain Is Normal — Here’s How To Combat It
- Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet
- Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: Risks of Belly Fat
- Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition
- Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
- Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024
- Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
- Metabolic Effects of Menopause: A Cross-Sectional Characterization of Body Composition and Exercise Metabolism [+ Video Summary]
- Midlife Weight Gain
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
- New Study Links the Effects of Menopause and Metabolic Health [Video]
- Nutrition and Menopause
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss – Fact Sheet for Consumers
- Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
- Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
- Prioritising Protein During Perimenopause May Ward off Weight Gain
- Steps for Improving Your Eating Habits: Reflect
- Stopping Middle-Age Spread
- Strategies for Successful Weight Loss
- Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
- The Best Time To Weigh Yourself (and How Often You Should Step on the Scale)
- The HCG Diet Is Ineffective and Unsafe
- The Importance of Nutrition In Menopause and Perimenopause—A Review
- The Importance of Understanding Your Eating Habits
- The Mediterranean Diet and Menopausal Health: An EMAS Position Statement
- The Mediterranean Diet and the Menopause
- The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain
- The Role of Lifestyle Medicine In Menopausal Health: Factsheet 1: Healthy Eating In Midlife & Menopause
- The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
- The Truth About Menopause and Weight Gain [Video]
- The Turmoil of Menopause: The Potential Metabolic Consequences During “The Change.”
- This Is How To Lose Weight the Right Way — and Keep It Off
- Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Metabolic Syndrome in Midlife Women
- Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat: What Are They?
- Webinars: Previous – Dealing With A Big Issue: Weight Gain At Midlife
- Wegovy: Why Half the People Taking the Weight Loss Drug Stop Within A Year – and What Happens When They Do
- Weight Changes During the Perimenopause and Menopause | Dr Louise Newson
- Weight Control
- Weight Gain In Middle Age: Why It Happens, How to Stop It
- Weight Gain and Menopause
- What To Know About Body Recomposition
- Where Does Fat Disappear To When You Lose Weight?
- Why It Really Is Harder for Women To Lose Weight (and What To Do About It)
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Fuller, N. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: So Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain? 12 March 2023. https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308 Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Midlife Weight Gain: What Causes Weight Gain In Midlife? the Menopause Society. March 2025:1. https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/for-women/MenoNote-Weight-Gain.pdf Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Fuller, N. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: So Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain? 12 March 2023. https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308 Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Midlife Weight Gain. the Menopause Society. March 2025:1. https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/for-women/MenoNote-Weight-Gain.pdf Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Fuller, N. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: So Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain? 12 March 2023. https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308 Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: Benefits of A Healthy Weight At Menopause. Last Updated: 30 September 2025 | Last Reviewed: 19 March 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/looking-after-yourself#healthy-weight Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Weight Gain and Menopause. June 2023:1. Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/31-WHC-FACTSHEET-Weight-Gain-and-menopause-JUNE2023-A.pdf Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Weight Gain and HRT. Page Last Reviewed: 03 January 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/side-effects/#weight-gain-and-hrt Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: Risks of Belly Fat. Updated: May 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/fact-sheets/menopause-and-weight Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: What You Can Do. Updated: May 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/fact-sheets/menopause-and-weight Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Menopause and Weight Fact Sheet: What You Can Do. Updated: May 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/fact-sheets/menopause-and-weight Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Fuller, N. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated: The Bottom Line: Can We Prevent Weight Gain During Menopause? 12 March 2023. https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308 Accessed: 07 October 2025
- The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain: What’s the Best Way To Prevent Menopause Weight Gain? 08 July 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/menopause-weight-gain/art-20046058 Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Weight Control. Last Updated: 24 September 2017. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/weight-control Accessed: 07 October 2025
- Weight Control: Safety. Last Updated: 24 September 2017. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/weight-control Accessed: 07 October 2025