About three-quarters of Americans are overweight or obese, a statistic that underscores a fundamental truth most of us already know all too well: Losing weight and keeping it off is hard to do. Worse still, it becomes more challenging as we age, especially for women.
At her practice in Santa Monica, California, Shamsah Amersi, MD, helps women manage their weight and hormones with customized weight-loss plans, including hormone replacement therapy. In this post, Dr. Amersi reviews the link between your hormones and your weight and how HRT can play a role in helping you stay healthy.
When most people think about “sex” hormones like estrogen and testosterone, they think about their roles in reproductive health and sexuality. But these hormones (and others) also play big roles in metabolism.
When we’re young, our bodies produce plenty of these hormones, and for many people, managing weight is a relatively straightforward — and successful — endeavor. But as we age, our production of these hormones declines, sometimes dramatically. Not surprisingly, our weight-management efforts tend to become much more difficult.
Unbalanced hormone levels make it harder for your body to burn off fat, which means it stores more fatty tissue. At the same time, hormonal fluctuations cause your muscle mass to decline. Since muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat, this change can lead to weight gain, too. Loss of muscle tissue also makes it harder to exercise.
Age is perhaps the most common reason for a decline in estrogen and testosterone (yes, women have testosterone, too). As women approach menopause, their ovaries stop producing these key hormones, leading not only to weight gain but also to reducing muscle mass and bone density while increasing risks of chronic medical problems like heart disease.
But aging is just one possible cause. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other hormone-related medical problems can also lead to hormonal imbalances and weight gain. PCOS is associated with metabolic issues, including obesity.
In addition to metabolic changes, hormonal fluctuations affect your health in other ways, including lowering your energy levels and interfering with sleep, two factors that can make weight gain more likely, too. Low estrogen especially can affect your appetite, making you feel hungry more often and increasing your cravings for high-calorie foods.
Of course, hormonal changes are just one possible cause of weight gain. Before prescribing HRT or any weight-management plan, Dr. Amersi performs a comprehensive physical examination, a review of your medical history, and past experiences with weight management. She also orders lab tests to evaluate hormone levels and other factors influencing your weight, like blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Using your exam and testing results, she tailors a weight-management plan based on your healthy weight goals, lifestyle, and other factors. This plan is focused on improving not only your weight but also your overall wellness.
If your test results show your hormone levels are low or unbalanced, Dr. Amersi may recommend HRT using bioidentical hormone supplements. These supplements are designed to be identical to the hormones your body naturally produces, which means your body uses them similarly for better results and fewer side effects.
HRT is “dosed” just like medication, tailored to your unique needs. Regular checkups ensure your HRT plan stays on track for your goals and health needs.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you feel more confident and attractive — but it’s also critically important for your health and wellness.
To find out if your hormones are making it harder to lose weight or to learn how to tailor a weight-management plan just for you, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Amersi at her Santa Monica, California, office today.
