Dr. Cederquist discusses how it is normal for women undergoing hormonal changes to experience an average weight gain of about 30 pounds.

Menopause and weight gain, this type of weight gain is largely due to the insulin resistance that begins to develop when estrogen levels begin to decrease in the brain.

When the ovaries of rats were surgically removed, which is exactly what happens in a hysterectomy for women, the decreasing estrogen levels in the brain cause a state of insulin resistance. This leads to weight gain in the belly, and on average this amounts to about 30 pounds of belly fat.