As we age our natural hormones including testosterone for men and estrogen and progesterone for women decline. This decline can effect our body weight. Typically testosterone declines in men 1% or more a year with age. For women, during menopause, estrogen and progesterone plummet. In both situations, weight increases gradually for men, and for women the weight gain can be dramatic. Often times, optimizing hormone levels make it much easier to lose weight, especially combining a weight loss program with HRT and proper exercise.
