The Most Fattening Times in a Woman's Life
A normal weight woman has about 25 to 35 billion fat cells. A woman who has been overweight since childhood can have 50 to 100 billion. A severely obese woman -- as much as 270 billion fat cells. Research indicates that a person who has more fat cells will have a harder time losing weight than an individual with fewer fat cells.
Fat cells are forever. Once created, they remain with you until death or liposuction do you part. They are made most rapidly during specific times - the last three months in your mother's womb until about 18 months of age, between the ages of four and seven, and during early adolescence.
After that, fat cells only increase or decrease in size depending on whether you gain or lose weight. However, if you become significantly overweight, you can develop new fat cells because there is a limit to how much your existing fat cells can store.
The milestones in a woman's life are transitions or passages from one season to another -- when a child becomes a woman, a colegiala becomes a working girl, a singleton becomes a wife and mother, and when fertility turns into hot flashes.
These special times are also the most fattening in a woman's life. Sometimes it's due to hormones; other times it's because of a change in attitude, status, and environment. Here's when a woman is most prone to enlarged fat cells, why, and what she can do about it.
Childhood to adolescence
Pre-pubescent boys and girls have the same body structure and fat percentage. Adolescent hormones change that similarity. Boys become more muscular while girls lay down a layer of fat in their breasts, hips, and thighs. This is the way nature intended for it to be.
But media and society can cause a teen-ager to view this natural occurrence as undesirable. This is when young girls are introduced to dieting. The end result can be weight gained from episodes of deprivation and bingeing.
Girls need to be taught that it is normal to put on fat in the "female" areas. They don't need to diet but they do need good nutrition and regular sports or dance activities to stay within normal limits.
It's easy to remain slim when you are running from one class to another, rushing up school stairs, and roaming a large college campus.
You don't burn as many calories when you are glued to an office desk. College fab turns into office flab within a year or two.
Recognize that you are no longer as physically active as your college days. Adjust by exercising in the gym or at home or by making a conscious effort to move more at work by taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking during your lunch break. Being aware of what goes into your mouth helps a great deal too.
The greatest motivator to keep slim is being "available". But statistics show that once the ring is on the finger, the pounds come creeping in. In the first ten years, weight gain can range from ten to forty pounds.
An attitude adjustment is required to keep the pounds at bay after getting married. Remember that maintaining your figure isn't just good for your health and relationship, it's also good for your self-esteem and self-respect.
The proverbial "eating for two" is a complete myth. You only need an extra 300 calories a day for a healthy pregnancy. Carrying a baby is not a license to eat as much as you want. What you need is high-quality nutritious food. Excess calories only lead to excess fat cells for you and your baby. Research has proven that gaining a large amount of weight during pregnancy can create new maternal fat cells.
Every woman should return to a normal weight after giving birth. It is beneficial for future pregnancies and to prevent diabetes and heart disease. The solution is the same as for all stages of life - regular exercise and sensible eating habits.
A menopausal woman's figure can turn from an hourglass to a shot glass. Declining estrogen levels cause excess weight to accumulate in the waist and abdomen instead of the hips, buttocks, and thighs. Loss of hormones may also lower metabolism.
This is why it is normal to gain a little weight and be more "voluptuous" in your later years. In fact, the Annals of Internal Medicine states, "All women are equally susceptible to menopausal weight gain regardless of premenopausal body types". This means that even if you were lean and lanky in your thirties, you can put on five to ten pounds.
However, it is not healthy to gain too much weight, which can increase the risk of breast cancer and heart attack.
Again, exercise and good eating habits are the solution. Proof? A 2002 study found that sedentary menopausal women had 38% body fat compared to fit women who only had 25% body fat.