In their forties and fifties many women typically find that they’re several pounds (and sometimes stones) heavier than they were in their twenties. The hormonal changes that accompany the run up to the menopause mean that we are predisposed to gain more fat in the abdominal area, around the waist. So even if you find that your weight doesn’t increase with age you may still find that your body shape changes. Indeed, research has shown that menopausal women have on average 20 per cent more body fat than pre-menopausal women and most of this body fat is around their waist.