24a7f55d-d0ee-4063-ae8d-030ed3580c02 Weight control challenges many women entering menopause. For some, weight gain is only an assault on their personal image. For others, however, their abdominal obesity more so than their total weight gain significantly increases their risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease. Diet and exercise have been the tools for managing weight gain in the past. While effective for some, a more aggressive approach involving bariatric surgery to limit intestinal absorption has been required for those whose body mass index (BMI) places them in the obese category.

]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:54:07 GMT ddc81393-3d37-4823-b140-7fe02ba06722 Why me? Why have the years when I was having children been so well orchestrated for the preservation of the species, only to leave me feeling like this? When I see my doctor, my first thoughts are “What has happened to my memory, why am I gaining weight, why is my skin drying up, what is bone loss, why is intercourse painful, in fact why do I not care for sex at all and why do I go from urinary tract infection, to vaginal yeast infection, to other infections around my vagina, and then back to urinary tract infection? What are these bursting moments of hot flashes, why do my moods swing so widely, and what are these new awkward aches? Why does my doctor talk to me about my cardiac risks when fear of breast cancer is my mountain to climb, and what are my options for management of these problems? If my doctor talks about hormonal management, I am really confused regarding what are bioidentical hormones, should I go on hormones and for how long, and what are the differences between the estrogen patch and the pill?”

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