Washington sources have stated that women who are underweight as teenagers or in their mid-30s run a higher risk of experiencing early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women. According to sources, underweight women who lost 20 pounds or more at least three times between the ages of 18 and 30 were at significantly increased risk of an early menopause, which is defined as a naturally occurring menopause before the age of 45.
The researchers said as per the study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, is one of very few to follow women prospectively from as young as 25 to menopause, and is the largest ever to do so. The researchers looked at body mass index (BMI), weight distribution, weight change and timing of menopause in 78,759 premenopausal women aged between 25-42 who joined the US Nurses' Health Study II in 1989.
Moreover, the women provided information on their medical history and health-related behaviors such as smoking and exercise at the time of joining the study. They then updated the information by means of questionnaires every two years thereafter. However, there were only seven women who reported this and so, although the result is statistically significant, it still needs to be treated with caution.
