If your midsection looks different lately, you’re not alone. Many women notice that during perimenopause and menopause, weight seems to settle more stubbornly around the belly, even when eating habits and activity levels haven’t changed.
Sound familiar?
This experience is often called “menopause belly,” and while the name may sound casual, the reasons behind it are anything but.
These changes are not about willpower or doing something wrong. They’re rooted in measurable shifts in hormones, metabolism and stress.
What Is ‘Menopause Belly,’ Really?
“Menopause belly” refers to a change in where the body stores fat during midlife. Earlier in life, estrogen encourages fat storage around the hips and thighs. As estrogen levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, fat distribution often shifts toward the abdomen.
What’s especially important is the type of fat involved. Many women experience an increase in visceral fat — the deeper fat that surrounds internal organs — even if the number on the scale doesn’t change.
Research shows this kind of fat is more metabolically active and more closely linked to inflammation, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk than subcutaneous fat (the fat just underneath the skin).
This helps explain why “menopause belly” can feel sudden and resistant to old strategies.
4 of the Reasons Why It Happens
“Menopause belly” isn’t caused by just a single factor. It’s usually the result of multiple overlapping changes, including those below.
- Declining Estrogen: Estrogen plays a key role in regulating fat storage, insulin sensitivity and inflammation. As levels fall, the body becomes more likely to store fat centrally.
- Elevated Cortisol (Stress Hormone): Midlife often coincides with high stress from careers and caregiving, impacting hormonal fluctuations. And unfortunately, cortisol directly signals the body to store fat, particularly in the abdomen.
- Insulin Resistance: As estrogen declines, cells may become less responsive to insulin. This can lead to higher blood sugar, increased cravings and greater fat storage in your midsection.
- Loss of Muscle Mass: Muscle naturally declines with age, and estrogen loss accelerates this process. Since muscle is a metabolically active tissue, less muscle means fewer calories burned at rest.
4 Actions That Actually Help (and Why)
Addressing hormone balance, including estrogen and cortisol levels, is key.
Options to do so include lifestyle adjustments, targeted nutritional support or, in some cases, hormone therapy under medical supervision.
When hormones are better supported, the body is more willing to release stored fat. Here are four actions you can take immediately.
1. Prioritize Strength Training: Resistance training two to three times per week helps preserve muscle and support metabolic health. Equally important is rest because that’s when repair happens.
2. Eat for Blood Sugar Stability: Adequate protein helps preserve muscle and regulate appetite, while fiber supports gut health and blood sugar balance.
3. Nourish the Stress Response: Herbal supplements, especially ones containing adaptogens, have been shown to help regulate cortisol levels.
4. Care for Gut Health: The gut microbiome plays a role in hormone metabolism, inflammation and weight regulation. Supporting gut health may help reduce bloating and support healthier fat distribution.
4 Supplements You Should Try
While food, movement and stress management are vital, many women find additional support helpful.
Partner.Co’s Body Balance System can help. It includes an Approved Foods List, which will help you hit fiber, protein and nutrient benchmarks, while also incorporating supplements that target hormones and body fat.
- AbVantage supercharges your metabolism and activates your brown adipose tissue, helping you burn 10x more calories* and shed stubborn visceral fat.
- Slenderiix™ Drops help control appetite, eliminate fat stores and reduce hunger pangs.**
- Xceler8™ Drops help boost metabolic rate, enhance energy levels and stabilize mood.**
- Renew helps you feel young by supporting HGH, a key hormone shown to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle.
If your belly feels unfamiliar, it doesn’t mean your body is working against you. Perimenopause and menopause are when you need to learn to work with your newfound biology rather than fighting it. With the right products, nourishment and exercise, it is possible to feel like you again!
*Compared to the placebo group, those supplementing with the active ingredient in AbVantage over four weeks showed an average increase in resting energy expenditure of 97 kcal/day versus 5 kcal/day.
**In a study, subjects using Slenderiiz products lost more than twice as much weight as subjects who did not use Slenderiiz products. All participants limited daily food intake to 1,250 calories.