Dietary Patterns And Weight Gain During Menopause

The Study

A common characteristic of menopause is weight gain. In this interesting study, over 38,000 women from Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study II cohort had their diets and weight measured for 12 years during their transition to menopause. The goal was to see how different dietary patterns impacted menopausal weight gain. Eleven dietary patterns were evaluated in this research.

Here are some of the most important results:

-Mean weight gain averaged about 2 lbs. per year.

-Diets that are considered healthy, such as the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet were actually associated with weight loss.

-Unhealthy diets, such as animal based low carb diets and patterns containing a lot of ultra-processed foods were associated with greater weight gain during menopause.

Regardless of dietary pattern, red and processed meats, sodium, potatoes and French fries were associated with weight gain. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes were associated with weight loss.

JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(5):e2613102.

Take Home Message

Weight gain during menopause is not a certain guarantee. With a healthy lifestyle, including the right dietary choices, weight gain during this transition can be minimized or even eliminated.