Abstract
Western society predisposes to weight gain. We simply have too much food available. The real problem is the fact that human biology, especially in women, changes as people get to their 50s, when ageing and perimenopausal modifications take place little by little. Small changes in gonadal steroid production at the ovarian level together with some changes in the metabolic pathways and in the insulin sensitivity create the trigger for weight gain. Food intake and steroid modulation of the metabolic pathways are the basis for some of the relevant changes that facilitate the increase in body mass index and the occurrence of metabolic syndrome.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Curtin LR (2010) Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. JAMA 303(3):235–241
Genazzani AD, Vito G, Lanzoni C, Strucchi C, Mehmeti H, Ricchieri F, Mbusnum MN (2005) La Sindrome Metabolica menopausale. Giorn It Ost Gin 11/12:487–493
Ibrahim M (2010) Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: structural and functional differences. Obes Rev 11:11–18
Balkau B, Deanfield JE, Després JP, Bassand JP, Fox KA, Smith SC Jr, Barter P, Tan CE, Van Gaal L, Wittchen HU, Massien C, Haffner SM (2007) International Day for the Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity (IDEA): a study of waist circumference, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus in 168,000 primary care patients in 63 countries. Circulation 116(17):1942–1951
Carmina E (2013) Obesity, adipokines and metabolic syndrome in polycystic ovary syndrome. Front Horm Res 40:40–50
Davis SR, Castelo-Branco C, Chedraui P, Lumsden MA, Nappi RE, Shah D, Villaseca P, Writing Group of the International Menopause Society for World Menopause Day (2012) Understanding weight gain at menopause. Climacteric 15(5):419–429
Lovejoy JC, Champagne CM, De Longe L, Xie H, Smith SR (2008) Increased visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure during the menopausal transition. Int J Obes (Lond) 32(6):949–958
Cagnacci A, Volpe A, Paoletti AM, Melis GB (1997) Regulation of the 24-hour rhythm of body temperature in menstrual cycles with spontaneous and gonadotropin-induced ovulation. Fertil Steril 68(3):421
Webb P (1986) 24-hour energy expenditure and the menstrual cycle. Am J Clin Nutr 44:14
Gambacciani M, Ciaponi M, Cappagli B, Benussi C, DeSimone L, Genazzani AR (1999) Climacteric modifications in body weight and fat tissue distribution. Climacteric 2(1):37–44
Roubenoff R, Hughes VA, Dallal EA et al (2000) The effect of gender and body composition method on the apparent decline in lean mass-adjusted resting metabolic rate with age. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 55(12):M757–M760
Ravussin E, Lillioja S, Knowler WC et al (1988) Reduced rate of energy expenditure as a risk factor for body-weight gain. N Engl J Med 318(8):467–472
Veldhuis JD, Bowers CY (2003) Sex-steroid modulation of growth hormone (GH) secretory control: three-peptide ensemble regulation under dual feedback restraint by GH and IGF-I. Endocrine 22(1):25–40
Walenkamp JD, Wit JM (2006) Genetic disorders in the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I axis. Horm Res 66(5):221–230
D’Eont M, Souza SC, Aronovitz M, Obin MS, Fried SK, Greenberg AS (2005) Estrogen regulation of adiposity and fuel partitioning: evidence of genomic and non-genomic regulation of lipogenic and oxidative pathways. J Biol Chem 280:35983–35991
Messina G, Viggiano A, DeLuca V, Messina A, Chieffi S, Monda M (2013) Hormonal changes in menopause and Orexin-A action. Obstet Gynecol Int 2013:209812. doi:10.1155/2013/209812. Epub 2013 Jun 11.
Willie JT, Chemelli RM, Sinton CM, Yanagisawa M (2001) To eat or to sleep? Orexin in the regulation of feeding and wakefulness. Annu Rev Neurosci 24:429–458
Kukkonen JP, Holmqvist T, Ammoun S, Akerman KEO (2002) Functions of the orexinergic/hypocretinergic system. Am J Physiol 283(6):C1567–C1591
El-Sedeek M, Korish AA, Deef MM (2010) Plasma orexin- A levels in postmenopausal women: possible interaction with estrogen and correlation with cardiovascular risk status. BJOG 117(4):488–492
Genazzani AD, Ricchieri F, Lanzoni C (2010) Use of metformin in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. Womens Health 6(4):577–593
Monteleone P, Luisi S, Tonetti A, Bernardi F, Genazzani AD, Luisi M, Petraglia F, Genazzani AR (2000) Allopregnanolone concentrations and premenstrual syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol 142(3):269–273
Genazzani D, Chierchia E, Rattighieri E, Santagni S, Casarosa E, Luisi M, Genazzani AR (2010) Metformin administration restores allopregnanolone response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation in overweight hyperinsulinemic patients with PCOS. Gynecol Endocrinol 26(9):684–689
Kerchner A, Lester W, Stuart SP, Dokras A (2009) Risk of depression and other mental health disorders in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a longitudinal study. Fertil Steril 91:207–212
Genazzani AD, Strucchi C, Luisi M, Asarosa E, Lanzoni C, Baraldi E, Ricchieri F, Mehmeti H, Genazzani AR (2006) Metformin administration modulates neurosteroids secretion in non-obese amenorrheic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecol Endocrinol 22(1):36–43
Genazzani AD, Lanzoni C, Ricchieri F, Jasonni VM (2008) Myo-inositol administration positively affects hyperinsulinemia and hormonal parameters in overweight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecol Endocrinol 24(3):139–144
Puurunen J, Piltonen T, Morin-Papunen L, Perheentupa A, Järvelä I, Ruokonen A, Tapanainen JS (2011) Unfavorable hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory alterations persist after menopause in women with PCOS. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 96(6):1827–1834
Roussel M, Garnier S, Lemoine S, Gaubert I, Charbonnier L, Auneau G, Mauriège P (2009) Influence of a walking program on the metabolic risk profile of obese postmenopausal women. Menopause 16(3):566–575
Martins C, Kulseng B, King NA, Holst JJ, Blundell JE (2010) The effects of exercise-induced weight loss on appetite-related peptides and motivation to eat. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 95:1609–1616
Genazzani AR, Gambacciani M (2006) Effect of climacteric transition and hormone replacement therapy on body weight and body fat distribution. Gynecol Endocrinol 22(3):145–150
Tommaselli GA, DiCarlo C, Di Spiezio Sardo A, Bifulco CG, Cirillo D, Guida M, Papasso R, Nappi C (2006) Serum leptin levels and body composition in postmenopausal women treated with tibolone and raloxifene. Menopause 13:660–668
Di Carlo C, Tommaselli GA, Sammartino A, Bifulco G, Nasti A, Nappi C (2004) Serum leptin levels and body composition in postmenopausal women: effects of hormone therapy. Menopause 11:466–473
Meli R, Pacilio M, Mattace Raso G, Esposito E, Coppola A, Nasti A, Di Carlo C, Nappi C, Di Carlo C (2004) Estrogen and raloxifene modulate leptin and its receptor in hypothalamus and adipose tissue from ovariectomized rats. Endocrinology 145:3115–3121
Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Liu Z, Lin H, Guo W (2009) Factors that influence entry into stages of the menopausal transition. Menopause 16(6):1218–1227
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Santagni, S., Rattighieri, E., Chierchia, E., Despini, G., Prati, A., Genazzani, A.D. (2015). Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: Impact and Relationship with Menopausal Transition. In: Fauser, B.C.J.M., Genazzani, A.R. (eds) Frontiers in Gynecological Endocrinology. ISGE Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09662-9_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09662-9_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09661-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09662-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)