A new study suggests that the weight gains common during menopause may increase hot flashes, despite previous thinking that it helped avoid them.

Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests women with higher body mass indexes and more body fat actually have more hot flashes, according to Reuters.

The study found participants who gained weight during the course of the four year review were more than one percent as likely to report hot flashes than those who lost body fat.

Dr. Rebecca Thurston of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine tells Reuters that researchers believe fat might worsen hot flashes because it acts as an insulator and makes it harder for the body to get rid of heat.

Loss of muscle mass and subsequent weight gain is common as we age.

Doctors say maintaining a healthy diet and continued exercise is important to maintain a healthy weight as well as to avoid weight-related disease like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Another health resource to consider to reduce weight gain and other symptoms of menopause include nutritional supplements containing vitamin D, calcium, black cohosh and St. John’s Wort.