The only remedy: Diet and exercise

I HAVE lost count of the number of times this thickening in middle age has been brought to my attention. Then there are changes affecting the skin, the hair, and even the ability of the oil glands in the eyelids to keep the eyes comfortable.

All of that is in addition to the well-known mood changes, hot flushes, sleep disturbance, fatigue and loss of libido. But what to do? That thickening up is not changed by hormone replacement therapy. There are

no short cuts: it comes down to a regular daily exercise regime, even a 20-minute walk, along with a nutritious diet with great caution about calorie intake – any extra goes on to hip, waist and thigh.

This is not advice that most want to hear yet I urge all menopausal women to avoid being taken down the garden path of crazy remedies – there are none that work.