This could be why you're fat - 6

WEIGHT GAIN IN YOUR 40s AND 50s

COULD BE: Middle-aged hormone changes.

Around 90 per cent of menopausal women find they gain up to a stone in weight very gradually during their peri-menopausal years (which can start in the late 30s).

The excess weight will normally target the middle of the body. Men may be similarly affected, according to U.S. gynaecologist and pharmacist, Dr C. W. Randolph. He says this is the result of an imbalance of the sex hormones: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Both men and women experience a sharp drop in progesterone, men also see a drop in testosterone.

In both cases, this allows the hormone oestrogen to become dominant. Dr Randolph says too much oestrogen increases body fat, makes the body better at storing fat, and inhibits its ability to use fat stores effectively for energy.

‘The result is extra weight that won’t go away, even with more exercise or less eating,’ he says.

WHO'S AT RISK? The over-40s.

WEIGHT-LOSS SOLUTION: A healthy diet and active lifestyle . . . and a degree of acceptance.

For women particularly, oestrogen from the fat cells can lessen other symptoms associated with the menopause, such as anxiety and hot flushes, and offers at least some protection against osteoporosis.