Here’s a strange thing I read about today – you can read it here.

What has our thighs got to do with the rest of the body??

Scientists have just found out some usefulness for having fatter thighs vs thinner thighs… In today’s edition of the British Medical Journal, scientists reveal that thigh circumference is somehow associated with premature deaths and heart diseases.

They found out that the risk of heart disease doubled for both men and women who had a thigh circumference of less than 55 centimetres / 22 inches. (Go measure those thighs now!)

And those that who have thighs of between 55 to 60 centimetres / 22 to 24 inches has optimal protection against heart disease.

But guess what, if your thigh circumference is above 60 centimetres / 24 inches – the protection for heart disease reduces. *grin*

What they actually concluded in their study was that muscle mass and strength are important determinants of longevity and good health. And in the article, one of the professors said that “Interventions which protect or increase muscle mass, such as weight training, may be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease even if no loss of body fat occurs.”

Did you hear that? It means if you do your exercise regularly and still you’re not losing weight, or simply gaining weight with enough exercise – that is still a good thing!

So hey, did you measure that thigh yet?!

Talking to most women over 50 you will quickly find that menopause and weight gain are linked in their experience. It is very common to put on weight at this time and while some of this may be due to lifestyle changes, that does not explain why suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body, especially the abdomen, while any weight gained when we were younger tended to be centered on the hips and thighs.

The truth is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, just like men. This in fact leads to a greater risk of getting heart diseases.

At the same time, both men and women tend to find their muscles turning to fat as they grow older, and their metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40.

Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies.

If you find that you are gaining weight around with menopause, there are several things you can do:

1. Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar.
2. Take regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.
3. Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.
4. Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, that is fine.

Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help in recognizing the symptoms of menopause and weight gain.