Aunt Jib Hunt, 1910s
After menopause, women tend to gain weight around their middle. Pamela Peeke, a doctor specializing in diet and health, has given this phenomenon a clever name—the “menopot.” It comes about because sinking estrogen levels relocate fat from the hips and thighs to the belly. Even women who have had flat stomachs all of their lives begun to notice their waists expand when they reach menopause.
You don’t have to look far to find evidence of the menopot in photos of older women—a constant over the decades. For many, the waist line on their dresses keeps on rising until it is just below the breasts.
And what about these women, who have decided not to mark their waistlines at all. Do their figures look any younger?
The menopot is not inevitable, says Dr. Peeke. It can be kept in check with lots of exercise and a strict diet. Her most disappointing recommendation—radically reduce alcohol consumption.
o dear – just when I got used to the idea of my thickening waist, now I have this in store (ha). I bought a jeans belt when I was 22, and at the time assumed it was a mans belt as I had to put in a few new holes. my waist was 22inch at the time and slowly thru my 20s I ended up going with the original holes in the belt – I still have a defined waist, but its now ‘shorter’ which is why I now wear empire line……the irritating part for me, is that fashion dresses / store bought are still mainly made with a waist seam, and it suits so few
“Menopot?” Oh ugh. I will not forget that term.