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Women Over 40 Face Muscle Loss and Emotional Hunger During Menopause
During perimenopause and menopause, women experience a natural decline in estrogen that accelerates sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass. This reduction lowers daily energy expenditure and can promote abdominal fat gain. Nutritionist Mari Escobar advises that adequate protein intake spread throughout the day is essential for preserving muscle, supporting satiety, recovery after exercise, and maintaining strength. She cautions against excessive protein and stresses that intake should match an individual’s age, weight, activity level, and health status. Extreme restrictive diets often cut protein too sharply, undermining muscle preservation and hindering weight‑loss goals.
At the same time, hormonal and neurochemical changes can heighten emotional hunger. Gynecologist Dr. Ana Paula Fabricio and endocrinologist Dr. Deborah Beranger explain that stress, sleep loss, anxiety and food cues trigger stronger brain responses, leading women to seek hyper‑palatable foods rich in sugar, fat, or salt. This pattern can contribute to weight gain and worsen metabolic parameters if combined with sedentary habits.
Entities
Ana Paula Fabricio · Deborah Beranger · Mari Escobar · Menopause · Sarcopenia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Declining estrogen affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, influencing appetite, mood and reward pathways. www.tribunapr.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Adequate protein intake throughout the day helps preserve muscle mass and supports satiety, recovery, and strength in aging women. leianoticias.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Sarcopenia accelerates during perimenopause and menopause due to estrogen decline. leianoticias.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hormonal changes during menopause can increase emotional hunger, causing stronger responses to stress, sleep loss, anxiety and food cues. www.tribunapr.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Extreme restrictive diets can lead to insufficient protein intake, undermining muscle preservation and weight‑loss goals. leianoticias.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Decreased muscle mass lowers daily energy expenditure, encouraging abdominal fat accumulation. leianoticias.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Emotional hunger often leads to consumption of hyper‑palatable foods, raising the risk of weight gain and metabolic deterioration. www.tribunapr.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Excess protein is not beneficial; intake should match individual age, weight, routine, and health status. leianoticias.com.br