Obesity in Postmenopausal Women

The American Chemical Society has released a bulletin, “Revealing Estrogen's Secret Role in Obesity”. The paper was presented on August 20, 2007 by Dr. Deborah J. Clegg, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati, Academic Health Center.

Through the use of a technique using RNA interference, the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus of rodents’ brains were altered so that the estrogen receptors would not be affected by circulating estrogen. Compared to unaltered animals, the experimentals quickly gained abdominal fat and lost some glycemic control, even though they had the same intake of calories.

This study increased evidence that lack of estrogen leads to weight gain in postmenopausal women.

This photograph, Courtesy of Min Liu, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, shows two almost identical appearing rats except for differing weights. Both mice had their ovaries removed. Only the slim one received replacement estrogen. The second one appears to have almost twice the girth of the first.

Human studies of this type are not possible, but inferences are that lack of estrogen may lead to weight gain in postmenopausal women who are not on a system of hormone replacement.