A diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains—while low in meat and dairy—may assist women in preventing weight gain during menopause, according to a recent study. Research indicates that women typically gain an average of 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) per year during perimenopause and menopause, with many considering this extra weight one of the most bothersome symptoms.
Understanding Menopausal Weight Gain
Menopausal weight gain is believed to result from the natural decline in estrogen levels during middle age. This sex hormone influences the body's ability to convert food into energy, as well as affecting appetite and fat distribution. Now, a new study offers a straightforward solution.
The Study's Findings
An international team led by Harvard Medical School discovered that adhering to a diet high in plant-based foods and low in meat and dairy can prevent weight gain during menopause. Conversely, diets high in salt, red and processed meat, potatoes, and ultra-processed foods like chips can cause weight to increase. The plant-based diet, also known as the low-insulinemic or planetary health diet, may also reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
"These findings suggest that low-insulinemic, planetary-health diets may optimise weight management during menopause and, if promoted during routine midlife care, could improve women's weight management and long-term cardiometabolic health," wrote the study's authors.
Research Methodology
To measure the impact of diet on menopausal weight gain, researchers followed 38,283 American nurses with an average age of 45.6 for 12 years, monitoring their diets every four years. They also assessed each woman's ethnicity, marital status, household income, use of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HRT), smoking habits, alcohol consumption, total calorie intake, physical activity levels, and body mass index (BMI) at the start of the study.
Key Results
On average, women in the study gained about 0.8 kg (1.7 lbs) per year. However, those following the planetary health diet—lower in red and processed meat, salt, potatoes, and foods like chips and crisps—gained approximately 0.28 kg (0.6 lbs) less per year. Over the 12-year study, this amounted to roughly 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) less than those with the poorest diets. They were also about half as likely to develop obesity.
This adds to a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of the planetary health diet, which previous studies have linked to a 27% reduced risk of premature death, as well as lower levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Implications for Midlife Care
The researchers concluded: "The findings support low-insulinemic and planetary health diets, low in red and processed meats, potatoes, and sodium, and rich in nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as an optimal strategy for weight management during menopause. Incorporating this dietary guidance into routine midlife care may help prevent obesity and support long-term cardiometabolic health in women."
In guidance published earlier this year, the NHS stated that reducing stress, exercising regularly, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, quitting smoking, and following a healthy diet can all help manage weight gain during menopause. It noted: "It is important however to ensure that weight gain isn't caused by something else, such as an underactive thyroid, particularly if you have a family history of the condition. If this is the case, you should speak to your GP." NHS guidance also clarified that while HRT can sometimes cause temporary fluid retention—which may lead to short-term weight fluctuations—there is "no scientific evidence" that the therapy causes long-term weight gain.
