IF YOU’RE A WOMAN OVER 40 and have been thinking, “Whose body is this?”, you’re not alone. Unexplained weight gain is a classic symptom of perimenopause – the 7-10 years before your last period.
If you can’t understand why your weight has crept – or skyrocketed – up since your early 40s, it’s likely you’ll try your old diet tricks to get back on track but you may find they no longer work. That’s because it’s not only food choices but lifestyle – sleep habits, exercise, stress management etc – that plays a role in weight gain in midlife. Although recent evidence shows a correlation between midlife, weight gain and an increase in waist circumference, what isn’t clear is whether that’s down to age-related hormonal fluctuations or lifestyle.
For example, in midlife, you’re often juggling children with a busy work schedule, supporting ageing parents, maintaining
