There are many phases in a woman's life, menarche, menstruations, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. Each phase comes with its own challenges, and changes the way of looking at life. However, narrowing to one, today we are focusing on weight gain after menopause. Gaining weight is a common concern for many women are approaching menopause. This period brings hormonal changes, shifts in activity levels and effects of aging. All of these contribute to weight gain. However, not everyone experiences weight gain during menopause, and individual experiences may vary greatly.

Menopause and Its Life Phases

Before diving into the specifics of weight gain, it’s helpful to understand the terminology associated with menopause:

• Premenopause refers to the period between puberty and the commencement of perimenopause.
• Perimenopause is the transitory period before menopause, characterized by fluctuating reproductive hormones.
• Menopause is defined as the absence of menstrual cycles for 12 consecutive months.
• Postmenopause is the period following menopause; typically used interchangeably with "menopause."

Hormonal Changes and Weight Gain

Hormones influence weight fluctuations after menopause, specifically how fat is distributed and how the body controls hunger.

Fat Content and Distribution

The hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause and menopause influence where fat is stored in the body:

Perimenopause: During this phase, estrogen levels fluctuate while progesterone levels decline steadily. In early perimenopause, higher estrogen levels can promote fat storage in the hips and thighs as subcutaneous fat, which generally carries fewer health risks.

Menopause: As estrogen levels drop significantly, fat storage shifts to the abdominal area as visceral fat.

This type of fat surrounds internal organs and is associated with health risks like:

• Insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Other metabolic issues

Appetite Regulation

Lower estrogen levels during perimenopause can have an impact on appetite management. A 2019 analysis found that decreased estrogen may diminish satiety signals, making you feel less full after meals. This might lead to increased calorie consumption and weight gain.

The Effect of Age on Weight

Weight gain during menopause is attributed to more than just hormonal changes. Several elements come into play throughout the aging process:

Increased fat content and decreased muscle mass: These changes affect the body's resting energy expenditure (REE), which means fewer calories are expended when at rest.

Lower activity levels: Fatigue, sleep difficulties, and menopause-related symptoms can all lead to a decrease in physical activity, further reducing REE and increasing weight.

Managing Weight Gain During Menopause

If you are concerned about weight gain during menopause, a variety of strategies can help you manage it effectively. It is usually recommended that you speak with a healthcare practitioner before developing a specific approach.

Dietary modifications

Focus on a well-balanced diet that includes less carbohydrates, more fiber, and less added sugar and salt.

Include nutrient-dense meals to boost overall health.

Physical exercise

Regular exercise helps to maintain muscle mass and reduce body fat. Strength training, aerobic, and flexibility exercises are quite beneficial.

If you have osteoporosis, see your doctor about safe activity options.

Rest and Stress Management

Prioritize sleep and relaxation to combat fatigue and stress, both of which can contribute to weight gain.

Mindfulness practices or yoga may help reduce stress levels.

Many people do not realise just how closely mental health and liver health are connected—especially when alcohol becomes a go-to coping strategy for stress, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm. What may seem like temporary relief can quietly evolve into a pattern that affects both the mind and the body in significant ways. Dhara Ghuntla, Psychologist affiliated with Sujay Hospital, 7 Hills Hospital, Criticare Hospital, in an interaction with Health and Me, spoke about the impact of stress, alcohol use and emotional eating on the liver.

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle, it is common for individuals to turn to alcohol to unwind or escape difficult emotions. In the short term, alcohol can create a sense of relaxation or numbness. However, over time, this reliance can shift into a habitual coping mechanism and eventually into dependence. While the psychological impact is often discussed, the physical consequences—particularly on the liver—are just as important.

The liver plays a critical role in detoxifying the body. Regular alcohol consumption places it under constant strain, impairing its ability to function effectively. Over time, this can lead to conditions such as fatty liver, inflammation, and even long-term liver damage. What makes this especially concerning is that early-stage liver issues often present with little to no obvious symptoms, allowing damage to progress unnoticed.

At the same time, liver health has a direct influence on mental well-being. When the liver is compromised, it can affect energy levels, mood regulation, and cognitive function. People may experience increased fatigue, irritability, anxiety, low mood, or emotional instability. This happens because the liver plays an indirect but essential role in brain health through metabolism and toxin clearance.

The Vicious Cycle

This creates a self-perpetuating loop. A person feeling stressed, low, or anxious may turn to alcohol for relief. While it may help temporarily, it simultaneously places stress on the liver. As liver function declines, mental health symptoms—such as fatigue, irritability, anxiety, or low mood—can worsen. This often leads the individual to consume more alcohol, reinforcing the cycle.

Adding another layer, many individuals who rely on alcohol are often dealing with underlying issues such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, or chronic life stressors. Alcohol is frequently used as a form of self-medication. However, instead of addressing these root concerns, it masks them temporarily while deepening both psychological and physical harm. Over time, this pattern increases dependency and makes recovery more complex.

The Gut–Liver–Brain Connection

Liver health is also closely tied to gut function and brain health. When the liver is under stress, digestion can be affected, nutrient absorption may decline, and energy levels can drop. This interconnected system—the gut, liver, and brain—plays a key role in emotional regulation and overall well-being. Disruptions in one area can ripple across the others, influencing how a person thinks, feels, and functions daily.

Breaking the Pattern

Recognising this connection is the first step towards change. Instead of turning to alcohol, healthier coping strategies can help regulate stress and support both mental and physical health. Practices such as yoga, meditation, regular exercise, journalling, and maintaining a balanced diet can significantly improve resilience and emotional stability.

Prioritising mental well-being, addressing underlying psychological concerns, and protecting liver health are not separate goals—they are deeply interconnected. Seeking timely support, whether through therapy, lifestyle changes, or medical guidance, can help break the cycle.

Reducing or eliminating alcohol use is not just about avoiding physical harm; it is about creating space to heal the underlying causes of stress and emotional distress. Supporting the liver, nurturing the gut, and caring for mental health together can lead to more sustainable and meaningful well-being.

You pick up a jar on the kitchen shelf and shudder. You take a flight of stairs, and that old pain sinks into your hip. You get up in the morning, and your shoulder feels as though it has been wrung out. You attribute it to age, to a long day on your feet, to just how things are now. But what if your body is trying to tell you something very particular and you have been missing it?

Dr Apoorv Dua, Consultant, Orthopaedics, ISIC Multispeciality Hospital, in an interview with Health and Me, said that this may be a sign of bursitis—a condition that is much more widespread than most people realise, and much more treatable than most people are aware. The expert went on to answer common questions regarding extreme pain that comes with this condition.

What is bursitis?

Bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs located between your bones, muscles, and tendons. Imagine them as the natural cushioning system of the body—shock absorbers that ensure your joints move smoothly and painlessly. Under normal circumstances, you do not even think about them. However, when inflamed, due to repetitive motion, prolonged pressure, injury, or infection, they make their presence known in a very noticeable manner. This is bursitis. Although it most often appears in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee, it may occur in nearly any joint in the body.

Who gets bursitis—and why?

This is where the lifestyle connection cannot be overlooked. Bursitis does not discriminate, but it has definite patterns. The weekend warrior who runs ten kilometres on Saturday after sitting at a desk all week. The housewife who spends hours cleaning floors or squatting in the kitchen. The office worker who has been stooped over a computer. The gym enthusiast who does not warm up. The retired teacher who begins a walking routine too vigorously. All these individuals may be silently placing stress on their bursae, and in many cases, bursitis is the eventual outcome.

Age also plays a role—the bursae, like most of our connective tissue, grow weaker with age. Certain medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and diabetes can increase the risk. However, in many instances, the cause is simply the way we move—or do not move—in our day-to-day lives.

What does bursitis feel like?

A key characteristic of bursitis is pain that is disproportionate to the activity causing it. Reaching overhead, sitting on a hard surface, pressing on your elbow, or walking downhill—these are not dramatic movements, yet with bursitis, they may trigger a sharp, deep, or burning pain that interrupts you mid-action. The affected joint is usually swollen and tender. The area may feel warm to the touch. Movement becomes guarded. Sleep, particularly in cases of shoulder bursitis, can be difficult, as lying on the affected side aggravates the pain.

The challenge with bursitis is that its symptoms can resemble other conditions—tendinitis, arthritis, a muscle strain, or even a ligament tear. Many individuals self-diagnose, self-treat with painkillers, and hope it will go away. Sometimes it does. However, chronic, untreated bursitis may persist for months and, in some cases, lead to complications.

Bursitis diagnosis

A thorough clinical examination is usually the first step. A skilled orthopaedic specialist can identify the affected bursa through specific physical assessments. Imaging, such as ultrasound or MRI, may be recommended depending on the case to confirm the diagnosis, rule out structural damage, or guide treatment.

If infection is suspected—indicated by increased redness, fever, and rapidly worsening pain—fluid may be aspirated from the bursa and tested. Septic bursitis is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention and is treated differently from the more common non-infectious type.

Bursitis treatment

The encouraging fact about bursitis is that it responds well to treatment, particularly when detected early. Most cases are managed with a combination of rest, activity modification, ice application, and anti-inflammatory medication. Physiotherapy also plays an important role, helping to correct movement patterns, strengthen supporting muscles, and restore the full range of motion.

In more persistent cases, a corticosteroid injection into the bursa may provide rapid and significant relief by reducing inflammation at its source. Surgery is rare and is typically considered only in chronic, recurrent cases that do not respond to conservative treatment.

Prevention is better

In many instances, bursitis is linked to lifestyle—and that presents an opportunity for prevention. Even small changes can help: warming up before exercise, avoiding excessive strain on joints, maintaining a healthy weight to reduce pressure on hips and knees, and ensuring workstations are ergonomically designed.

Pain often becomes background noise—something we get used to, work around, and push through. However, bursitis reminds us that the body communicates with precision. That pain when you pick up a jar, that discomfort on the stairs—it is not simply ageing. It is a signal worth discussing with your doctor.

A nosebleed that will not stop or a small cut that continues to bleed far longer than expected—these are some of the most overlooked health problems. While these symptoms are often brushed aside as minor issues, they could be early indicators of an underlying bleeding disorder such as haemophilia. Dr Gaurav Kharya, Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead – Bone Marrow Transplant, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, answered FAQs regarding hemophilia—whether frequent nosebleeds in children are a cause for concern or not.

Understanding haemophilia

Haemophilia is a genetic condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot properly. In its absence, even minor injuries can lead to prolonged or excessive bleeding. Despite advances in treatment, many people remain undiagnosed, often until complications start appearing. This World Haemophilia Day, Dr Kharya highlights a critical gap: most people with haemophilia do not even know they have it.

A global diagnosis gap

The World Federation of Haemophilia estimates that over three-quarters of people with bleeding disorders worldwide remain undiagnosed, leaving hundreds of thousands without access to even basic care. To appreciate the scale of this gap, the expected number of patients with haemophilia globally is 1,125,000, of whom approximately 418,000 should have severe haemophilia. Reported figures fall dramatically short of both estimates.

India’s delayed diagnosis challenge

India’s diagnostic reality is particularly sobering. The median age at diagnosis for severe haemophilia in India stands at 60 months—five full years—compared to under 12 months in high-income countries. This delay is not just a matter of time but one that poses a risk of serious clinical consequences. Late diagnosis often means repeated, unmanaged bleeding episodes during early childhood, particularly into joints, before appropriate treatment begins.

Recognising the warning signs

Recognising the early warning signs can be critical in preventing long-term complications. Symptoms such as recurrent nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding in females, and prolonged bleeding after minor injuries are often overlooked or dismissed. However, these are not just minor inconveniences but potential diagnostic indicators that require timely medical consultation rather than mere dismissal.

Treatment options for haemophilia

The treatments for haemophilia have never been more effective, but they work only for patients who have been diagnosed. In a condition where every missed bleed moves a joint closer to permanent damage, the most important clinical act is also the most basic one: recognition.