DEAR DOCTOR K: Does menopause cause weight gain? DEAR READER: In the United States, women typically go through menopause between 47 and 59 years of age. And the average woman gains about one pound per year around the time of menopause. Not surprisingly, we tend to assume that menopause causes weight gain. Research suggests that there is no direct link between menopause and weight gain. But menopause may play an indirect role.