Effects of the Menopausal Transition on Dietary Intake and Appetite. A MONET Group Study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in dietary intake and appetite across the menopausal transition. METHODS: This was a 5-year observational, longitudinal study on the menopausal transition. The study included 94 premenopausal women at baseline (age: 49.9 ± 1.9 yrs; BMI: 23.3 ± 2.3 kg/m(2)). Body composition (DXA), appetite (visual analogue scale), eating frequency, energy intake (EI) and macronutrient composition (7-day food diary and buffet-type meal) were measured annually. RESULTS: Repeated-measures analyses revealed that total EI and carbohydrate intake from food diary decreased significantly over time in women who became postmenopausal by year 5 (P > 0.05) compared to women in the menopausal transition. In women who became postmenopausal by year 5, fat and protein intakes decreased across the menopausal transition (0.05 > P < 0.01). Although a decrease in % fat intake was observed during the menopausal transition (P < 0.05), this variable was significantly increased in the postmenopausal years (P < 0.05). Spontaneous EI and protein intake also declined over time and were higher in the years preceding menopause onset (P < 0.05). Desire to eat, hunger and prospective food consumption increased during the menopausal transition and remained at this higher level in the postmenopausal years (0.05 > P< 0.001). Fasting fullness decreased across the menopausal transition (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that menopausal transition is accompanied with a decrease in food intake and an increase in appetite.