Expert Tips on How to Manage It

• More women are seeking solutions to manage menopause symptoms like weight gain, highlighting a growing need for effective therapies and treatments.
• Lifestyle modifications like a healthy diet can help, but GLP-1 drugs have also emerged as a promising treatment for healthy weight management during menopause.
• If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and experiencing weight gain and other symptoms, ask your doctor or OB-GYN for more guidance.

The stigma surrounding menopause has faded in recent years as more women are compelled to share their stories to help others navigating this life transition feel validated and empowered.

Perimenopause marks the start of the completion of the female reproductive cycle, which culminates during menopause. During this phase, key hormonal changes result in an array of symptoms that vary from person to person, from hot flashes to mood shifts and weight gain.

As perimenopause and menopause become more widely accepted by mainstream culture, demand for treatments and therapies for solutions has skyrocketed.

Research into this area is also growing. For instance, a new clinical trial found that participants who followed a plant-focused diet experienced a 92% decrease in severe hot flashes. Participants also reported weight loss and improved well-being.

But for many females, diet may not be enough to navigate changes in the body due to menopause, such as weight gain. The so-called “meno belly,” for instance, describes stubborn menopause weight gain in the abdominal area that’s often challenging to lose.

Recent studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs may also be an effective intervention for menopause weight gain.

“This is a real and expected physiologic change as it relates to aging,” said Michael Snyder, MD, Medical Director of the Bariatric Surgery Center at Rose Medical Center and in-house obesity specialist at FuturHealth.

“During menopause, GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment is rapidly becoming a first-line treatment option for weight gain.”

Healthline spoke with Snyder to learn more about why menopause weight occurs and what treatments are recommended for healthy weight management during this natural biological process.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.