Middle-age women have yet another reason to exercise, eat healthy and fight the battle of the bulge.
A new study says that overweight and obese women who suffer hot flushes during menopause can improve their symptoms considerably by shedding pounds. It was published recently in the well-respected “Archives of Internal Medicine.”
Hot flushes (also known as “hot flashes”) are among the most common concerns of women during menopause. They persist for five or more years past menopause in up to 30% of women, which is not ideal news to say the least. In multiple studies, women with a higher body mass index (BMI) have reported more frequent or severe hot flushes compared with women with a lower BMI.
And in that point comes the idea about shedding pounds. Researchers did a six-month trial and used questionnaires to assess hot flushes in 338 women (average age 53) who were overweight or obese and had urinary incontinence. Of them, 226 went with an intensive program to trim the waistline, while 112 served as a control group.
Women in the intensive intervention group were assigned to a lifestyle and behavior change program designed to produce an average loss of seven to nine percent of body weight within six months. This included weekly one-hour group sessions with experts in nutrition, exercise and behavior, where the women were encouraged to increase physical activity to at least 200 minutes per week using brisk walking or activities of a similar intensity. They were also instructed to follow a reduced-calorie diet (1,200-1,500 calories) and were offered sample meal plans providing appropriate food selections as well as meal-replacement products.
During the six months, reduced weight, BMI and abdominal fat were each linked with improvement in hot flushes. Yet there were no significant links between changes in physical activity, calorie intake or blood pressure and bothersome flushes. While that seems contradictory, what is clear is that reducing one’s weight may significantly improve the quality of life in menopausal women.
The best idea is to speak with your doctor and pursue optimal strategies for reducing those numbers on the bathroom scale. The golden rule is to burn more calories than you consume, and to do so every day as much as you can if you’re trying to bust through the battle of the bulge.
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