Some people find change more difficult than others, but regardless of how easy or hard you find it, the changes of menopause can trigger a lot of emotional turbulence. Some women in particular find the thought of aging extremely frightening, whether because of body image, health, fear of death, or any number of other reasons. These fears can accumulate and lead to depression. (And we haven’t even started to talk about hormonal changes and emotional health). Depression is a key factor in weight gain at any stage of life. People who are depressed, or even just feel out of sorts for an extended period of time, often find it harder to exercise regularly and easier to eat poorly. Weight gain is a natural consequence.

What you can do: If you know that your depression, or lack of motivation, is partly to do with your change in body shape and the feelings associated with getting older, try to get things in perspective. Assess whether you really are getting “fat” or are just not as thin as you were when you were sixteen. A forty-five year old is not supposed to look like sixteen year old; you don’t have pajama parties and pretend to be Britney Spears anymore, or giggle stupidly at MTV presenters, so don’t expect to look like someone who does. Our bodies are supposed to change, and we should ride with the change in the healthiest way we can. If you are exercising regularly and eating well, but you still gain a little weight, then don’t be hard on yourself; just accept that your body is changing.

Something else to consider is the changes your body went through when you hit puberty. That time of change required a few new wardrobe items didn’t it! Well, menopause is time for another change. Stop trying to fit into your twenty-year old jeans and tank tops, and treat yourself to some new wardrobe items that make your body look gorgeous.

And try this out for a healthy attitude: "I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point". – Susan Sarandon

Although it’s a commonly held belief that HRT will make you gain weight, many studies show that, for most women, the treatment has no effect on weight gain. Then again, some studies suggest it might. So what do you do!?

What you can do: If you are on an HRT treatment that you think might be causing you to gain weight, talk to your doctor about whether the type of hormone you are taking or the dose of your treatment can be adjusted. As always, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise is still your best therapy for countering weight gain.

Even if your body feels like it's spiraling out of your control, the one thing you do have command over is your attitude - so keep it healthy! In the (slightly amended) words of Abraham Lincoln: "A man (or a menopausal woman) is about as happy as he makes up his (her) mind to be."