Do you ever find yourself thinking:
· “Why am I gaining weight even though I’m not eating more?”
· “Why is my belly getting bigger no matter how carefully I eat?”
· “Why am I so tired, bloated, or just not feeling like myself anymore?”
If you’re over 40 and going through perimenopause or menopause, you’re not imagining it — and it’s not just about weight. There are real changes happening inside your body: Your hormones are shifting, your metabolism is slowing, and your body is becoming more sensitive to stress, sugar, poor sleep, and even certain foods.
But what’s more worrying is that these changes can silently increase your risk of chronic diseases and most women don’t realise it until it’s too late. You may have been told “It’s just part of ageing”, but that’s not the full story.
Let me walk you through what you need to look out for — and what you can start doing today.
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1. BMI (Body Mass Index)
Think your weight is “normal”? Think again.
For South Asian women, a BMI over 23 is already considered overweight — and over 27.5 is obese.
That’s because the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease starts earlier. Check your BMI to check what range it is in for your ethnicity.
2. Waist Circumference
Use a measuring tape to measure around your waist.
If it’s more than 80 cm, your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome increases significantly.
3. Waist-to-Hip Ratio
If your waist is almost the same size as your hips (or bigger), this can be an indicator of being at a higher risk of some chronic diseases.
4. Visceral Fat
This is fat stored deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. It’s influenced by factors such as a diet high in processed foods, chronic stress, poor sleep, and hormonal changes during menopause. Visceral fat is particularly harmful because it increases the risk of fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
5. Blood Sugar Imbalance
Have you noticed constant cravings for sugar or carbohydrates? Feeling tired or drowsy after meals? Struggling to lose weight, even when you’re eating very little?
These are some of the symptoms of pre-diabetes.
When your blood sugar levels are out of balance, your body stores more fat (especially around the belly), increases cravings, and leaves you feeling drained. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of heart disease.
6. Digestive Issues
Gas, bloating, constipation, or reflux aren’t “just part of life”. They may indicate gut issues, which can affect your energy, mood, and ability to lose weight.
Many of the women in my Wellness Programme felt like this before they joined. They thought it was “just hormones” or that it was something they had to “put up with” as they got older.
But once we got to the root of the problem and they made targeted changes to food, movement, sleep, and mindset, their health started to transform.
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Sujata Din is a Certified Health Coach and Certified Professional Cancer Coach. In this regular column for iGlobal, she offers some special insights, from useful wellness tips to recipes for creations that are not only delicious but also healthy.