If weight loss is simply cals in / cals out, why do post menopausal women have a harder time losing weight?

Question

Same goes for older people in general. Is it harder to lose weight because they simply move less? What’s happening that makes weight loss so much harder in 30s and above?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Oestrogen interacts directly with all the major digestive hormones, and it starts dropping after the mid-30s. So women’s metabolism begins to shift gradually and then quite significantly, meaning that with the same diet and activity levels, they’re burning (far) fewer calories, and in some cases so dramatically that it can be difficult to eat enough to be fully nourished (need for protein etc also increases at this time) without gaining weight.