Perimenopause - a vulnerable time for your relationship with food.

So often when we think about disordered eating, we think of adolescents and young adults, but one overlooked but highly vulnerable stage of life is perimenopause. Perimenopause is a time of changes seen and unseen, with symptoms that impact how an individual feels emotionally and physically in their body. Combine this with a culture obsessed with aesthetics and avoiding weight gain at all costs and you can see how unhelpful eating behaviours and a strained relationship with food and your body can begin to develop. 

Perimenopause and menopause challenges that may make this a vulnerable time for eating habits:

• Psychological challenges such as mood changes, increased risk of anxiety, depression, and concerns about ageing, can impact how food might be used for comfort or control.

• Changes to sleeping patterns and sleep quality can impact hormones that help to regulate hunger and satiety, as well as impact our energy levels and capacity for planning and preparing meals.

• Changing body composition, with or without weight gain, can impact body satisfaction levels and lead to changes to food habits as an attempt to regain control over what is happening to the body.

• Symptoms such as hot flashes, pain, fatigue can lead to a disconnection from the body, as well as interfere with how hunger, fullness and satisfaction is experienced.

• Life stage responsibilities such as caring for children/teens, supporting ageing parents, while maintaining a job or other demands, can amplify stress levels. Alongside this, there are social pressures and the normalisation of preventing bodies from changing/ageing.

One of the biggest indicators that someone in midlife is at risk of adopting disordered eating habits is that they are experiencing body dissatisfaction. Research from the Butterfly Foundation found that body dissatisfaction is present in 56% of women during perimenopause and menopause. Eating disorders are present in 3.5% of women in their 40s and 50s, yet identifying risky eating behaviours in this population is not always on a health professional’s radar, and even normalised in the pursuit of avoiding weight gain.

Unhelpful eating behaviours can be restrictive in nature, or they might be related to a sense of losing control around food.

Potential risky eating habits and signs to look out for:

• Swinging between restrictive and ‘out of control’ eating patterns, that leave you feeling guilty or shameful.

• Setting limits on calories, specific types of foods (for example carbohydrates), or restricting eating to certain times of the day.

• Ignoring or pushing away hunger.

• Having to exercise to compensate for foods that are eaten.

• Developing an ‘all or nothing’ approach to eating or a ‘good foods / bad foods’ mentality.

• Binge eating, secretive eating, or becoming distressed about others seeing you eat.

One of the (many) reasons that eating habits matter during the transition to menopause is that it is a time of heightened risk for loss of muscle mass and reduced bone density. With restrictive eating habits increasing a person’s risk of nutritional deficiencies, it is important to catch these habits before they have a compounding effect.

There are ways to support and nurture our bodies through change, without trying to change and control them. If you notice your thoughts or behaviours around food and your body becoming messy, our dietitian is here to help open a conversation about them and explore helpful strategies, rather than becoming overwhelmed by them.

References:

1. Butterfly Foundation, bodyhttps://butterfly.org.au/news/periods-pregnancy-and-hormones-new-research-reveals-the-major-life-moments-that-contribute-to-womens-body-dissatisfaction/ dissatisfaction - Butterfly Foundation, accessed 31/03/2026

2. Finch et al, Network Analysis of Eating Disorder Symptoms in Women in Perimenopause and Early Postmenopause, Menopause. 2023 March 01; 30(3): 275–282. 

3. Vincent et al, Disordered eating behaviours during the menopausal transition: a systematic review, Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism, 2024 July, Vol 49, Iss 10:1286-1308