Managing weight after menopause

With less oestrogen, the body metabolises starch and sugar less effectively, and the extra calories end up stored in the abdomen, hips and thighs. Photo: Filepic

Most people already know about menopause – the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, marking the end of her menstrual periods and reproductive life.

A hundred years ago, when the lifespan of a woman was 40 years, reaching menopause would be a cause for grand celebration.