Many people may be wondering, what does it matter if you are overweight during menopause? Because physical appearance might not be as important in life as it was when you were young, or if you are really overweight, you can just lose weight later. But in reality, being overweight during menopause… is not that easy to lose!! And obesity during menopause also brings many risks of various diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, paralysis, and disability. This is why you should take care of your health before entering menopause.
Why? When entering menopause… it’s easy to gain weight but hard to lose
Menopause occurs in both women and men around the age of 40-50 years, which is considered the transition from adulthood to old age. Sex hormones are a key factor in entering menopause. Women in menopause produce less sex hormones until the ovaries stop functioning and ovulation ceases, resulting in no menstruation and no production of female sex hormones from the ovaries. Most often, weight gain occurs due to female hormone problems causing hormonal imbalance. For men in menopause, sex hormone function decreases but not to the extent of complete hormone loss like in women, but it still affects the body’s health in many ways.
Sex hormones for menopausal people can be said to have a significant impact on the body, mind, emotions, social life, thoughts, relationships, and lifestyle. In addition, not only sex hormones change, but other hormones in the body also decrease.
Common menopausal symptoms found in both women and men include mood swings, insomnia, hot flashes, dry skin, easy fat accumulation, and fatigue. This is another reason why losing weight is difficult because the body feels tired and not ready to exercise.
The best! Is to take care of your health before (entering) menopause
Diet is an important factor that causes weight gain, and for menopausal people, even with strict diet control, sometimes weight cannot be controlled. Some may have had obesity problems all along without proper treatment. When entering menopause, obesity becomes a bigger problem that can affect health more seriously.
Therefore, when entering the 40s, you should prepare your health before menopause by starting with…
General body care and exercise before menopause include eating nutritious food based on nutritional principles, focusing on vegetables and fruits, reducing starch, sugar, and fat intake, getting enough sleep at least 6-8 hours/day, exercising with stretching, weight resistance, and aerobic exercise covering all three parts continuously for about 30 minutes/day regularly. Getting appropriate gentle sunlight helps the body get enough vitamin D. Also, avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and stress.
In-depth hormone health check before menopause… another important point to be aware of
Besides basic self-care that everyone should do, the next important thing to be aware of is seeing a doctor for a personalized in-depth health check to prepare for menopause by checking these key factors:
- Detailed hormone tests such as sex hormones, growth hormone, anti-stress hormone (DHEA), happiness hormone, insulin hormone, and thyroid hormone
- Check the body’s nutritional status such as vitamin B12, vitamin C, and minerals like zinc and magnesium
- Bone mass check, fat and muscle measurement to plan treatment for fat reduction and muscle building
- Check the body’s metabolism and neurotransmitter system to help with targeted weight loss or plan health care using genetic testing for personalized diet and exercise
Dig deep to find the cause… then treat and correct precisely
Personalized in-depth health checks not only help doctors diagnose individual health problems in detail but also lead to treatment plans that address the root cause. Treatment approaches include:
- Supplementing with missing vitamins and minerals to balance hormones
- Recommending daily health care guidelines for each person such as
- Healthy foods focusing on vitamins, minerals, fiber, and high calcium
- Choosing exercise methods suitable for health, lifestyle, and without affecting health limitations
Menopause is an important phase for all of us. If we do not prepare properly, hormonal imbalance will take away your good figure, making it difficult to lose weight, and various body systems will deteriorate rapidly. But if you start taking care of yourself today and consult a doctor for a detailed hormone system check when entering your 40s, balancing hormones and living a healthy life physically and mentally, it means you are helping to slow aging for yourself. You will be a menopausal person with a strong body, good appearance, radiant skin, and a cheerful mood for sure.
