Menopause Leads to Significant Shift in Fat Storage to Abdomen, Research Indicates
Research indicates that menopause causes a significant shift in fat storage, specifically increasing visceral fat around abdominal organs. Before menopause, visceral fat constitutes approximately 5% to 8% of total body fat, but this can rise to 15% to 20% after menopause. This change is distinct from general age-related weight gain, which typically involves subcutaneous fat. A four-year longitudinal study tracked women through the menopausal transition, finding that while subcutaneous fat increased with age regardless of menopausal status, visceral fat specifically correlated with the onset of menopause. This distinction highlights that the shift towards abdominal fat is a hormonally driven process tied directly to menopause, rather than simply a consequence of aging. The mechanism behind this shift is primarily attributed to the decline in estrogen (estradiol) during menopause, which alters the ratio between estrogen and androgens, leading to a relative androgen dominance. This hormonal imbalance independ...
