Shedding light on weight management for women – articleShedding light on weight management for women – article

What makes maintaining a healthy weight different for women?

As women navigate the different stages of life, they face unique health challenges—musculoskeletal problems, mental health struggles and cardiovascular risks—that can impact their quality of life, productivity and long-term wellness. A recent report from the World Economic Forum revealed that women are projected to spend nearly a decade of their lives in poor health, with nearly half of those years occurring between the ages of 20 and 60.

"Women live longer than men, but we spend nearly 25% more of our lives in poor health — often during the prime years of career-building, raising a family and personal growth " says Katie Brown, EdD, RD, president of National Dairy Council and registered dietitian. "These statistics don’t have to be our reality, there are positive steps that can make miles of difference.”

One of the most effective strategies for supporting overall wellness is maintaining a healthy body weight, and yet 69% of women in the US are overweight or obese.¹ Excess weight can impact fertility, increase the risk of pregnancy complications and elevate the risk of conditions like gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. "Weight is about more than appearance; it plays a crucial role in long-term health outcomes," says Brown.

Maintaining a healthy weight can present unique challenges for women due to a combination of physiological, hormonal and societal factors. Hormonal fluctuations can significantly influence metabolism and fat distribution. For instance, decreased estrogen levels² during menopause are associated with increased abdominal fat and a reduction in lean muscle mass, both of which can hinder weight loss efforts. This means that as women age, maintaining or losing weight gets even more challenging, with hormonal changes during perimenopause heavily influencing body composition, fat distribution, sleep and mood changes. Approximately 20% of women gain 10 or more pounds during the menopausal transition.³

Additionally, societal pressures and stressors, including the expectation to fulfill multiple roles, can lead to emotional eating and reduced physical activity, further complicating weight management for women.

Sustaining a healthy weight through sound nutrition

Despite these challenges, several evidence-based strategies have proven effective for weight management for women. Incorporating regular physical activity, particularly strength training, is crucial; it helps build muscle mass, which boosts metabolism and promotes fat loss even at rest. Moreover, behavioral interventions that include self-monitoring, goal setting and social support have been shown to enhance adherence to weight management programs and improve outcomes.⁴ It’s important for women to adopt a holistic approach that augments these physical efforts with key dietary modifications.

When it comes to healthy eating, it’s not just a matter of reducing calories – it’s important to make sure the calories eaten are nutrient-dense, representing a variety of foods and food groups and can offer a sense of satisfaction and satiety to support weight goals. Balanced nutrition, when paired with strength training, can help lead to a virtuous cycle of increasing muscle mass and metabolic rate. The following are six well-established guidelines for weight management supportive nutrition:

Dairy Foods – The Best Kept Secret In Weight Management Nutrition

Dairy foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and kefir deliver a good to excellent source of high-quality protein and other essential nutrients to the diet, helping to build muscles while also leaving you feeling full. Recent emerging studies support the role of dairy foods in potentially managing weight - a 2022 systematic review found that drinking just 1.5 cups of milk daily was associated with a 13% lower risk of being overweight or obese. Similarly, yogurt, which has strong ties to digestive health, was also linked to lower body weight—likely due to its probiotics, which help regulate digestion and metabolism.⁵

Rapid weight fluctuations and their impact on women’s health

Some women may look to certain diets or other measures that could result in rapid weight fluctuations which come with some important considerations. "Rapid weight changes can result in not just fat loss but also the loss of critical muscle mass," explains Brown. "To preserve muscle and bone mass and strength during weight management, strength training and maintaining high-quality protein intake is essential—and dairy foods supply good (milk and cheese) to excellent (yogurt, cottage cheese) sources of the protein women need."

"Protein will continue to be a highly sought-after macronutrient, especially for those aiming to maintain muscle mass and a healthy weight," says Scott Dicker, marketing insights director at SPINS. Given that dairy foods offer high-quality protein, they can be an ideal companion for women seeking sustainable weight management methods.

Women now have more tools than ever to take control of their health. By making informed choices about their lifestyle, nutrition and wellness habits, women can close the health gap and improve long-term well-being. As Dicker says, "We’re seeing a significant increase in products that specifically target women’s health, especially around menopause and perimenopause. This is part of a growing trend in the wellness market to address the unique needs of women."

As Brown puts it, “We encourage people to think of bones, muscles and weight as interconnected systems. We call it the ‘BMW’ analogy: what’s good for your bones is good for your muscles and good for your body weight.”

In the end, dairy foods offer a nutrient-dense, versatile solution for women who want to optimize their wellness at every stage of life. Whether it’s enjoying a yogurt parfait for breakfast, sipping a glass of milk at lunch or adding some cheese to dinner, dairy is an easy and delicious way to help nourish the body with the nutrients it needs to thrive. From weight management with high-quality protein to supporting bone density with calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D, dairy provides essential nutrients tailored to the unique health needs of women.

To learn more about women’s unique health and wellness needs, don’t miss: “What Women Really Want: Cracking the code for Food and Beverages” Thursday, March 6 from 12:30-1:30pm in Marriott Ballroom Platinum 5. The first 50 attendees will receive a $20 Whole Foods Market gift card.

¹ https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity

² https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9258798/

³ Knight et al. Menopause. 2021

⁴ https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069719

⁵ Feng. Adv in Nutr. 2022.; Zhang. Int J of Mol Sci. 2019