Is being overweight inevitable as we get older?

Jane Arlow • January 28, 2022

And is there anything we can do about it?

I often find myself in an odd situation. I’m aware that working in the field of health and fitness, there’s a certain expectation about how I “should” look.

Particularly, that image of “long, lean muscles” that Pilates has traditionally pushed.

It’s taken me some time to square the circle in my head that those are not, and never will be, my genetics.

And it doesn’t matter how much Pilates, or other exercise I do, I’ll always have short, sturdy legs with big, solid calf muscles. I’ve struggled even more over the last couple of years as I was flung into menopause.

So, the topic of Obesity Awareness week (which was actually last week, but hey, whatever), was a bit more interesting for me this year.

Particularly as I’ve been reading more about how inter-connected everything is.

What is obesity?

According to the WHO, obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.

Obesity UK highlights that it’s a complex health condition, with over 100 different factors that can contribute to weight gain and obesity. While many of us believe obesity is caused by factors entirely within our own control, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many of the factors are either partially, or completely, outside of our control.

Unfortunately, there are lots of risks to being obese.

These include many chronic and life-threatening conditions from high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol; to Type 2 diabetes; excess fat on organs like the liver and heart; coronary heart disease and stroke; and some types of cancer such as breast cancer and bowel cancer.

As if that wasn’t enough joy it can also affect your overall quality of life by causing other problems like difficulty doing physical activity; and joint or back pain. It can also lead to depression and low self-esteem.

Jeez, I’m a bundle of laughs today, hey?!

Why are we more likely to change body shape during the peri- and menopausal years?

In my pre-menopausal years, when I put weight on, the first places it went were my butt and then my boobs.

But over the last few years, I’ve noticed that the weight has gone on round my middle, changing my body shape from a “pear” shape to more of an “apple” shape. Why is this?

A 2009 study that ran for 9 years identified that a drop in Oestrodial (a precursor to oestrogen) production potentially leads to Testosterone progressively dominating the hormonal landscape during the menopausal transition.

This can lead to “Androgen Dominance” – meaning that the male sex hormones are stronger than your female hormones.

No, you’re not turning into a bloke!

If we think about where men traditionally put on weight (that “wok smuggler look”), well, it’s not dissimilar to where menopausal women start to hold excess weight.

Alongside Androgen Dominance, there’s less of the protein made that makes both androgens and oestrogens more available for our bodies to use.

This also becomes a factor in increasing the amount of fat stored around the middle of the body (“central adiposity”) AND around our internal organs.

These in turn mean that the health risks that up until this point of our lives were predominantly “male” health problems, become ours too.

Many contributing factors for obesity might be outside of our control, but many are within it. Like what we eat. But not for the reasons why you might think!

OK, so you’re expecting me to get all over reducing calorie intake. Well, I'm not. Please let me introduce you to the “Oestrobolome”.

Say what, now?

You’ve heard of your gut biome, right?

Well, recent studies suggest that a collection of gut microbes known as the Oestrobolome have a role in processing oestrogens, affecting the levels that can circulate in your body.

Microbes in the Oestrobolome produce an enzyme that separates Oestrogens into their active forms.

This enables the active Oestrogen to bind to Oestrogen receptors and influence Oestrogen-dependent physiological processes (aka all the processes that have gone a bit wonky and are causing your menopausal symptoms).

When the gut microbiome is healthy, the Oestrobolome produces just the right amount of this enzyme to maintain Oestrogen at the correct levels.

When your gut’s not happy the enzyme’s activity may be altered, potentially creating a deficiency of Oestrogen.

Or, said another way, it increases the likelihood of Androgen dominance.

So, what should you eat to keep your gut biome (and Oestrobolome) happy?

Around thirty different types of plant-based foods every week!

This can include vegetables; pulses; beans; lentils; and plant-based fibre; as well as fermented foods (e.g. kefir, sauerkraut, live yoghurt).

And what are the things that make your gut unhappy?

Ultra-processed foods, particularly those that are made from soy, corn or wheat with added fats.

Exercise helps to avoid some of the risks associated with obesity.

I am not talking about creating calorie deficit here. If you read this blog, you’ll remember that exercise alone is poorly correlated with weight loss.

Exercise is, on the other hand, strongly correlated with reducing the risks of all the other chronic, life-threatening health risks that we talked about at the beginning of this blog.

And in the case of maintaining weight loss and regulating energy metabolism, the inclusion of physical activity is crucial.

We should all be aiming for 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week.

If you’re largely sedentary incorporating small changes in your daily routine (e.g. taking the stairs instead of the lift; park a bit further from the entrance to the shops; go for regular walks in your neighbourhood) can increase your NEAT!

There are many other factors that may be linked to obesity

Current studies indicate that Vitamin D deficiency is also strongly correlated with both insulin-resistance (pre-cursor to diabetes) and central adiposity. As this vitamin is made by the action of sunlight on our bodies, you should consider a supplement during the autumn and winter months.

Stress and sleep disturbance (both of which can be common challenges for many of us as) also drive us to over-consume calories particularly from foods that have a high level of sugar and/or fat.

What can you do to help yourself?

Errrr, Pilates obviously helps you to be more in the moment by concentrating on breath, so reducing your levels of stress. Book a class here

Get more sleep. I know that this is dull, but try going to bed earlier – give yourself more opportunity for sleep. Also check out these other sleep hygiene suggestions.

Another thing that helps is eating enough protein at every meal to help to ensure that you feel satiated. This makes you less likely to snack between meals. Women should aim for 20-30g with every meal and it doesn’t matter whether the source is animal (meat, fish, dairy) or plant (beans, pulses).

Finally, ditch the alcohol. Apart from all of the other nasty things that alcohol does to your body, it really is just empty calories. Wine is not one of your five a day and has zero nutritional value!

If this is a topic that interests you, why not check out this pre-recorded workshop where you'll learn a lot more about your gut microbiome and how to keep it happy?

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Breast cancer - know your risks

By Jane Arlow • October 13, 2025

October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!