Menopause and Disordered Eating:

Why Midlife Can Trigger Food and Body Struggle

The menopause is a time of huge hormonal transition and with so many changes happening both physically and emotionally, it’s perhaps unsurprising that eating disorders or disordered eating are known to either develop, re-emerge or become exacerbated.

In this blog, I want to shed light on why this happens, what’s going on beneath the surface that makes midlife such a vulnerable time for food struggles and most importantly, what you can start to do about it.

Hormonal Changes & our Brains

During menopause, our hormones fluctuate and decline and because they’re involved in so many of our body’s systems, we often experience those changes in multiple ways.

Oestrogen supports the production of serotonin, often called our “happy” brain signal, it helps regulate mood, sleep, appetite, digestion and memory. When oestrogen begins to drop, serotonin can fall too, leaving us more prone to low mood, irritability, restless nights and even changes in digestion.

Oestrogen also naturally suppresses appetite, so as levels fall, hunger can increase and our focus on food and our bodies can sharpen.. It’s not a lack of willpower that we desire food; it’s our biology responding to change.

Sleep Disruption and How It Shapes Our Eating

Lower oestrogen also affects melatonin, our main sleep hormone, which is why poor sleep and insomnia are so common in this phase of life. But sleep loss doesn’t just make us tired it can also throw off our hunger and fullness cues.

When we don’t sleep well, ghrelin (the hormone released in our stomach, that tells us we’re hungry) increases, while leptin (the hormone that signals fullness) decreases. That means we’re biologically wired to feel hungrier and less satisfied. When we are tired it therefore becomes harder to make balanced choices or resist using food for comfort or energy.

We often judge ourselves for this, when really, our brains are just trying to rebalance.

Physical Changes and Body Image

As oestrogen levels drop, we naturally lose some muscle mass. Since muscle helps regulate metabolism, we may notice our body shape changing, often with more weight gathering around the middle. At the same time, cortisol, our main stress hormone, tends to rise, which can further promote this pattern.

These changes are normal, as a midlife woman myself, it doesn’t mean they’re easy.

Emotional and Psychological Shifts

Hormonal changes don’t just affect our bodies, they influence how we feel. When oestrogen lowers, serotonin drops, increasing the risk of low mood. When progesterone falls, our levels of GABA, the calming, anti-anxiety neurotransmitter also dips.

The result? More anxiety, irritability or racing thoughts.

These emotional changes can make it harder to keep a balanced relationship with food. We may find ourselves eating to soothe, distract, or cope or swinging in the opposite direction, trying to control food as a way to regain stability.

Social and Life Transitions

Menopause often coincides with significant life transitions: children leaving home, career shifts, caring for ageing parents, or changes in identity and purpose. At the same time, societal pressures that reject ageing and glorify youth can intensify self-scrutiny and body dissatisfaction.

In response, some women turn to food control, over-exercising, or restrictive dieting in an attempt to feel more in control — which can then lead to bingeing, cycles of restriction, or deepening food anxiety.

Moving Toward Acceptance and Compassion

This stage of life asks us to care for ourselves differently. Our bodies are adapting, not failing. These shifts in appetite, shape, sleep and mood are biological responses, not personal weaknesses.

What helps most is nourishment, rest and compassion. Eating regularly to balance hormones and energy, moving in ways that feel good, and giving ourselves permission to slow down can make a huge difference.

And perhaps most importantly, learning to meet our bodies with kindness. Acceptance doesn’t mean loving every change; it means respecting ourselves through them. When we stop fighting our biology and start listening to it, we open the door to real healing — not just with food, but with ourselves.