Body mass index distribution in climacteric women

Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated in 2481 climacteric women selected from among the outpatients attending the Menopause Clinic at Bologna University in absence of hormonal replacement therapy and diseases that could cause weight gain. Analysis of variance of the W/H2 (weight/height squared) distribution in different age and climacteric situations demonstrates that the pre-menopause is a weight-gain inducing state and that ageing seems to cause a progressive increase in W/H2.