Have you ever noticed how weight gain during menopause is treated like a scandal? It’s almost automatic: you hit perimenopause, and suddenly everyone is talking about what you 'should' eat or how you need to 'fix' your body. It’s exhausting, frustrating, and frankly, unfair. This is exactly what Cole Kazdin dives into in her powerful essay, “Why Does Menopause Treatment Always Include a Diet?” published by Time. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth the read.
Kazdin points out something that many women feel but rarely vocalize — weight gain during perimenopause becomes the first symptom people notice, and immediately it’s framed as a problem to be solved. But why is it that weight gain—an incredibly natural part of many women’s transition through menopause—is treated as a failure or a medical emergency requiring a dietary intervention? Could this fixate us on the wrong things?
Breaking the Diet-Menopause Cycle
The science of menopause is complicated—hormone shifts, metabolic changes, and sometimes emotional turbulence. But the reflex to “diet your way out of it” often misses the bigger picture. Weight is only one part of health, and obsessing over it can trigger stress, anxiety, or worse: eating disorders. Kazdin’s essay reminds us of the damaging pressures that diet culture inflicts on women facing natural bodily changes.
So how do we break this cycle? It starts with reframing our approach to menopause and health. Instead of focusing on weight as a number, we can prioritize how we feel—physically, mentally, emotionally. This mindset shift is crucial for well-being but isn’t always easy when messages about ‘fixing’ your menopause symptoms come from doctors, magazines, and even loved ones.
When Tech Meets Menopause: Empowerment Through Choice
Here’s where modern family-building and fertility tech can teach us a thing or two. Just like menopause treatment shouldn’t reduce women to a number on a scale, conception support should empower individuals with options tailored to their unique needs. Take MakeAMom, for example — a company offering at-home insemination kits for people who want to conceive on their own terms, free from clinical pressures and judgment. Their BabyMaker home intracervical insemination syringe kit provides a discreet, user-friendly tool for people navigating fertility challenges in a way that feels comfortable and personal.
Why bring this up? Because the same compassion we need in menopause treatment — to see the whole person, not just their weight or symptoms — is the compassion we deserve in all areas of reproductive health.
What You Can Do Right Now
Managing menopause well doesn’t require a strict diet or constant self-surveillance. Here are some approachable ways to reclaim your health and your narrative:
- Listen to your body: Notice what makes you feel energized or tired, calm or anxious.
- Move in a way you enjoy: Forget ‘exercise’ as a chore; think dancing, stretching, walking your dog.
- Focus on nutrient-rich foods: But don’t obsess — aim for balance, not perfection.
- Practice mindfulness: Menopause can be emotionally complex. Apps and community groups can help you process feelings.
- Seek support without shame: Whether it’s a friend, a therapist, or an online community, you’re not alone.
Closing Thoughts
Menopause is a new chapter, not a crisis. The fixation on dieting as a treatment misses the point entirely and risks harming the very people it hopes to help. By challenging diet culture and embracing tools—from mindset shifts to innovations like at-home insemination kits—we can foster a kinder, more empowering approach to women’s health.
What’s your take on the role of diet in menopause treatment? Have you felt pressured to 'fix' your body when really, you just needed support? Share your story below — let’s change the conversation together!