05/30/2026
Excellent insights from Dr. Mary Claire Haver on the evolving science of GLP-1 medications and women’s metabolic health.
One of the biggest takeaways: midlife weight gain is not simply about willpower.
As women move through perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can impact insulin sensitivity, muscle mass, inflammation, appetite regulation, and where the body stores fat. This is one reason many women notice increased abdominal weight gain despite maintaining healthy habits.
Dr. Haver highlights that GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools for appropriate patients, but they’re not a standalone solution. Protecting muscle mass, optimizing nutrition, strength training, and addressing hormone health may all play an important role in long-term success.
She also discusses emerging therapies that may provide even more personalized options in the future, as our understanding of obesity and metabolic health continues to evolve.
At Restorative Health of Colorado, we’re encouraged to see more attention being given to the unique metabolic challenges women face during midlife.
Weight gain during menopause isn’t always about eating less and moving more. Often, it’s about understanding the biological changes happening inside the body and creating a plan that addresses them.
Credit to Dr. Mary Claire Haver for continuing to advance this important conversation.
Women in midlife have been told for decades that weight gain simply means they need to "try harder".
Eat less. Move more. Have more discipline.
But the science tells a very different story.
Hormone decline changes where fat is stored, how muscle is maintained, how insulin functions, and how inflammation impacts the body. Menopause is not a failure of willpower. It is a metabolic transition.
In this week’s article, I break down:
• What GLP-1 medications actually do
• Why visceral fat increases during menopause
• How hormone therapy may improve outcomes alongside GLP-1s
• What women need to know about medication interactions
• Why protecting muscle mass matters
• What emerging treatments like retatrutide may mean for the future
The conversation around women’s metabolic health is finally changing, and it’s about time.
✨Read my latest Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/drmaryclairehaver/p/the-glp-1-update-whats-changed-whats?r=vogzo&utm_medium=ios