Beating middle- age spread

AN ANTIBODY that could reverse the curse of middle age by reducing weight and boosting bone density in women has been discovered by scientists.

The antibody has only been tested in mice but could be a godsend for women aged over 40 who are going through menopause battling weight gain and osteoporosis.

And it may hold the key to the battle against our biggest health problem — obesity — because it appears to increase the activity of brown fat in the body. Brown fat is known as “good fat” because it turns food into body heat, helping to burn more calories and thus eliminating unhealthy white fat.

The journal Nature reports on the research into an antibody which acts against part of the pituitary hormone — follicle- stimulating hormone or FSH. In humans FSH levels rise as a woman’s ability to produce children declines during perimenopause.

Typically a woman will gain around 4.5kg during menopause, mainly around her stomach, and she will lose around 10 per cent of her bone density. This can place women at risk of diabetes, heart disease and bone fractures.