In today's lesson we're going to look at why it is tougher for women approaching menopause lose weight from their abdomens. I have worked with a lot of women in my time and a lot of them don't know what to do about it. They seem to be doing everything correctly but for some reason they have a tough time losing weight in that area.

So, we're going to look at the role of estrogen today. I am going to explain exactly what happens in the body with respect to estrogen and difficulty losing weight. We're going to talk mainly about women today but this does apply to men to some degree.

First off, let's talk about what happens during menopause as women's hormones start to fluctuate and change. Basically, estrogen decreases by 35% and progesterone decreases by 75%. Both hormones decrease but the balance changes.

Progesterone normally keeps estrogen in check. If there is more estrogen floating around relative to progesterone, it can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance and we're going to talk about that later.

Women are generally pear-shaped up until menopause. Fat cells and hormones ensure that fat is distributed mainly around the hips and reproductive organs. There is also a tendency to store fat subcutaneously which means that more of a women's fat is stored just under the skin.
That is why it's tougher for women to see muscle definition than it is for men because men have a lower subcutaneous fat level than women. We'll talk about what happens in women and why it happens in a minute.

During menopause, there is a decrease in estrogen and a decrease in estrogen receptor sensitivity. Because of this, women's bodies tend to become more male-like in terms of fat distribution.

More fat starts to collect around the abdomen, mimicking more of a male, apple shape. The apple-shaped body is linked to type-II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. That is why abdominal fat is not a good thing. More fat around the viscera; the digestive organs is linked to many diseases.

In general, women have a pear shape and more fat underneath the skin up until menopause. They store their fat in and around the hips.
And at menopause because of a decrease in estrogen, their fat distribution changes and more fat is held within the abdominal area.

A lot of people tend to think that estrogen makes you fat, and that is a misconception. People may think that because women tend to have more body fat than men that it is due to estrogen. That is not the case. Estrogen is actually a hormone which promotes fat breakdown and decreases fat storage.