Disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in women with non-natural menopause

Research on menopause and eating behavior has mostly focused on women with premenopausal, perimenopausal, and natural postmenopausal stages. The aim of this study was to investigate eating behavior and body image in women with non-natural menopause.

The sample included 330 postmenopausal women, classified as non-natural menopause (NNMP) (N = 103) due to gynecological surgery (oophorectomy/hysterectomy) and natural menopause (NMP) (N = 227) who completed an anonymous questionnaire on current health, weight history, eating behavior including eating disorder symptoms (EDS) and body image. We compared women with NNMP and NMP and in a subanalysis, women with oophorectomy and hysterectomy using various logistic regression models.

NNMP women were similar in most demographic characteristics to NMP women except younger age, higher maximum BMI, more mental illnesses, restrictive dieting, and EDS. The group difference in EDS disappeared after adjustment for confounders. Our subanalysis of oophorectomized women showed a significantly higher prevalence of EDS (29%) compared to hysterectomized women (11%) (p = 0.017), even after adjustment for confounders, and a significantly more pronounced body weight dependence of their self-esteem. Body satisfaction was below 50% in all groups.

Women who have undergone oophorectomy appear to be highly susceptible for EDS compared to those with natural menopause, unlike hysterectomized women, whose menopausal transition is less abrupt. While body image was generally moderate to negative across all groups, oophorectomized women showed a stronger focus on weight-related self-esteem. Incorporating eating behavior into clinical care is crucial, especially for women post-oophorectomy.