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How do estrogens affect figure changes?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

Estrogens and weight
If there is enough estradiol in the body, a woman's weight will not fluctuate, as it happens in the absence of this hormone. Recent studies confirm that it is estrogen that actively participates in the normalization of metabolism and, as a result, the normalization of weight.
Do you want to know what happens when a woman's body stops or almost stops producing estradiol? As a rule, this happens in the period before menopause later.
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So, at low doses of estradiol…
- Fat deposits form on the surface of internal organs and in the abdominal cavity, and weight increases significantly. In turn, adipose tissue also produces hormones - estrone and androgens, this increases the level of cortisol - the stress hormone.
- All these hormones in common can cause the risk of developing diabetes. They also negatively affect the cardiovascular system and lungs. Increased levels of estrogens and androgens can also provoke breast cancer.
- Muscle tissue becomes more flabby with reduced doses of estradiol and is very difficult to restore. The fat under the hips and sides also becomes less dense, the person's skin looks sagging and inelastic.
- If the level of estradiol decreases, the woman's cortisol level becomes higher. The stress level increases. This causes the body to store more fat.
- By reducing the production of estradiol, the body at the same time increases the level of cortisol. As a result, the thyroid gland begins to produce less hormones. The thyroid gland may malfunction.
- When there is less estradiol in the body, more insulin is produced, but the body does not perceive it. And this suppresses the formation of sugars in the blood. As a result, fat deposits increase - the woman gains weight without understanding the reasons.
- When estradiol in the body decreases, you can notice it by your plump waist. Fat deposits are deposited primarily there. This is explained by the increased production of androgen hormones and increased insulin levels in the blood.
- A woman may experience insomnia due to a decrease in estradiol levels. An amazing fact: the worse a person sleeps and the more restless their sleep, the more growth hormones are inhibited. In short: the worse you sleep, the worse you grow. This is especially true for teenage girls at the onset of menstruation. Growth hormones, being sluggishly produced, inhibit metabolism and stimulate the production of fat on the sides and waist.
- If there are not enough growth hormones in the body, muscle tissue is lost and becomes flabby, while fat tissue, on the contrary, actively accumulates. Muscle mass is restored very poorly.
To avoid such serious consequences for your well-being, weight and mood, it is important to control the level of estrogens in your body. In particular, estradiol. See an endocrinologist in time and stay healthy.
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