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Abstract
The connection between body-shape characteristics, namely distribution of subcutaneous
fat, and the occurrence of psychic and somatic climacteric symptoms was investigated
in 142 postmenopausal women from Eastern Austria. It was found that both psychic and
somatic symptoms are significantly related to body-shape characteristics. With increasing
breadth and circumference, i.e. a higher proportion of subcutaneous fat, the degree
of severity of several symptoms increases, with the exception of hot flushes and sweating,
dizziness, headache and palpitation. Since, in the climacteric, subcutaneous fat has
a positive impact on the secretion of oestrogens and thus on climacteric symptoms,
the results of the present study may be interpreted as an effect of the psychosocial
stress to which corpulent women are exposed in our society because they do not fit
the beauty ideal typical of our culture.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 9,
1992
Received in revised form:
September 9,
1992
Received:
March 9,
1992
Identification
Copyright
© 1993 Published by Elsevier Inc.
