Estrogen and Weight Gain

There can be various causes other than fatty oily foods and inactive lifestyle, that may cause weight gain in women. Sometimes, even though you make no change in your diet or exercise routine, still you notice a few extra pounds around your belly. This condition can be extremely annoying and disappointing for any one, not only because it affects your appearance but obesity or being over weight can be a root cause for many other health ailments like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, etc. Hence, one such contributing factor for weight gain in women is estrogen, a female sex hormone responsible for causing ovulation.

The relation between excess estrogen and weight gain can be said to be directly proportional, i.e. if levels of estrogen increase in the body so does the weight. When in excess, estrogen elevates the growth of estrogen sensitive tissues, causing an increased size of adipose (fat) tissues in the waist, thighs and other estrogen sensitive fat tissues. Especially in women one can see the effects in the belly, lower butt, upper thighs and sometimes in the back of the arms. Some of the factors that may contribute to increased levels of estrogen which eventually cause weight gain are given below:

Menopause: One of the most prominent symptom of menopause is weight gain, which leads to overall change in the body shape. Commonly seen in the women between ages 35 - 55, as a woman enters the initial stages of menopause, due to many hormonal fluctuations, controlling weight becomes extremely difficult and losing those extra pounds seems next to impossible. Since, our body's hormones have a direct impact on our appetite, metabolism and fat storage, during menopause the estrogen levels fall rapidly causing the body to stop ovulating. As a result, the ovaries produce less estrogen and the body starts searching for other places to compensate or fill up for the deficit. As the fat cells in our body can generate estrogen, the body works harder to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels. Unlike the muscle cells in our body, the fat cells don't burn calories, which causes the accumulation of those unwanted pounds and the body ends up storing more fat than it used to.

Birth Control Pills: Studies show that women taking higher dose pills, tend to have an average of about 5 lb weight gain. Higher doses of estrogen in birth control pills is known to cause weight gain in women due to fluid retention. Direct stimulation of kidney substances called renin-angiotensin, by the estrogen in the pills, causes water retention which further leads to sodium (salt) retention in the body. Although, this weight gain is temporary, using the lowest possible estrogen containing birth control pills will help reducing weight gain and swelling due to water retention.

Hypothyroidism: Weight gain is the most commonly observed symptom of hypothyroidism, (a glandular disorder resulting from insufficient production of thyroid hormones). Estrogen and thyroid hormones have opposing actions, hence, estrogen hormone being more dominant interferes with the thyroid hormone activity causing hypothyroidism which eventually leads to weight gain.

Weight gain due to increased estrogen levels is said to be normal, especially during menopause and is not considered as a sign of severe health problem. In fact, weight gain during menopause helps to lessen other menopause symptoms, like anxiety and hot flashes. However, since excessive weight gain can lead to other health ailments, one of the best way to maintain body weight is to gradually reduce your calorie intake or increase the body's metabolic rate. A regular exercise program including weight training and aerobic exercises is a good method to improve the body's metabolism. A balanced and healthy diet containing more of nutrient rich low calorie plant foods and less of processed and junk foods is recommended for loss of estrogen and weight gain.