Why Do Women Gain Belly at Middle Age?

Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they age and reach middle age. To their surprise, this phenomenon often occurs even if they are not gaining weight.

But what is behind all this? Science has not yet been able to find an exact reason, but recent research suggests that this is probably due to a decrease in the level of estrogen, which seems to influence where fat is distributed in the body.

But the tendency to gain or accumulate weight around the waist (and be shaped like an “apple” instead of a “pear”) could also have a genetic component. “This is a physiological change that, unfortunately, happens to virtually all women as we age”, explains Victoria Vieira-Potter, associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, quoted by the American newspaper ‘The New York Times’.

And it is that, before reaching menopause, the levels of estrogen in the body of women begin to decrease (it does not exactly happen in menopause, as many believe). This triggers a series of symptoms such as mood swings, irregular periods, trouble sleeping, and changes in body shape. All this occurs between 45 and 55 years old.

A study from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, in Los Angeles, applied to almost 400 women, analyzed the evolution of the body of this group in the aforementioned age range for 12 years. It was found that in this period the way in which the female body stores fat changed, going from focusing more on the legs and hips to accumulating more in the midsection, similar to what happens with men.

According to the study, midsection fat increased, on average, by between 24% and 17%. Midsection fat gain was fastest during the years before and the year after the last menstrual period. This hormonal change would be what would be behind many women going from having a “pear” body (with hips wider than the waist) to having the so-called “apple” body, which is characterized by greater abdominal fat.