Victoria Biddick Nutrition Introduction + Menopause Quiz

As part of our commitment to supporting women's health at every age and stage, we are thrilled to welcome Victoria Biddick to the Everee Women™ team. Each week, Victoria will provide our community with the latest evidence-based information on midlife changes, along with practical ways to support peri-menopause through lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise. No matter where you are in your life journey, we believe you'll find her insights incredibly helpful!

Victoria is a qualified nutritionist with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Nutrition and the founder of Victoria Biddick Nutrition. She is on a mission to help women thrive during midlife with effective nutrition and lifestyle advice. As someone experiencing midlife changes herself, Victoria understands firsthand the unique challenges that peri-menopause can bring. Like many women, she initially felt unprepared for the changes her body was undergoing and unsure of how to manage her symptoms. Victoria has since turned her own journey into an opportunity to research these changes and adopt practical steps to support her health and well-being.

Women’s Wisdom by Everee Women™ | Menopause Quiz

To kick things off, we're launching our first piece of content: A Menopause Quiz. Each question will be followed with the correct answer and a bit of information to support the answer. No matter what your score, we’ve got you! We believe in the saying “knowledge is power” and by being informed about menopause we can take positive steps to support our health and wellbeing.

TAKE OUR MENOPAUSE QUIZ: HOW MUCH DO YOU ALREADY KNOW?

Write your answers as you go, then review them at the end.

1. Menopause is defined as:

a. A pause in menstrual cycle
b. Time leading up to last menstrual cycle
c. Last or final menstrual period, confirmed after 12 months

2. The average age for a woman to experience menopause in New Zealand is:

a. 51 ½ years
b. 55 years
c. 60 years

3. Which of the following factors can influence the onset of menopause (including early menopause 40-45 years):

a. Smoking
b. Family history
c. Full hysterectomy (removal of ovaries)
d. Chemotherapy
e. All of the above

4. Peri-menopause occurs:

a. 1 year before menopause
b. 2-10 years before menopause
c. 10-15 years before menopause

5. Humans are the only mammals to experience menopause:

a. True
b. False

6. Humans experience menopause because:

a. More adults available to care for young, ensures survival of the species
b. We live longer than we used to
c. We are not sure!

7. In peri-menopause the sex hormones Oestrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone decrease:

a. Gradually with a steady decline
b. Fluctuating from high too low like a rollercoaster

8. Changes in menstrual cycle such as irregular periods or changes in flow can be an early indicator of peri-menopause:

a. True
b. False

9. Which of these symptoms is not associated with menopause:

a. Hot flushes
b. Problems sleeping
c. Hair growth
d. Anxiety or mood changes

10. Which of the following behaviours can improve overall health and wellbeing and make menopause symptoms easier to manage:

a. Improving diet
b. Regular exercise
c. Giving up smoking
d. All the above

Answers

1. (c) Menopause is defined as last or final menstrual period, confirmed after 12 months when a woman is said to be post-menopausal. Unlike the name suggests menopause is not a pause in the menstrual cycle, it’s the end. The word pause comes from the Latin word pausis which means cessation (1).
2. (a) The average age for a woman to undergo menopause in New Zealand is 51½ years. Most women become menopausal naturally between the ages of 45 and 55 years (2).
3. (e) Smoking, family history, full hysterectomy and chemotherapy can influence the onset of menopause. Evidence shows women that smoke are 1.8–2 years younger to start menopause compared to non-smokers (3).
4. (b) Peri-menopause occurs 2–10 years before the last period (6).
5. (b) Humans are NOT the only mammals to experience menopause. Orca whales stop reproducing around 40 years but can live to 90 years (7).
6. (c) We are not sure why humans experience menopause. The grandmother hypothesis and evolutionary theory attempt to explain this (8).
7. (b) Hormones fluctuate from high to low like a rollercoaster during peri-menopause (9).
8. (a) True. Changes in menstrual cycle can be an early indicator of peri-menopause (10).
9. (c) Hair growth is not associated with menopause; hair thinning is more common (11).
10. (d) Lifestyle changes can improve overall health and wellbeing during menopause (12).

How did you go?

• 8–10 Top Score. Well done!
• 4–7 A great knowledge base to support your peri-menopause journey.
• 1–3 A blank canvas to fill with knowledge.

References

1. Online Etymology Dictionary (n.d). Menopause.
2. Women’s Health Organisation NZ. Menopause.
3. Tawfik et al. (2015). Life course exposure to smoke and early menopause.
4. Louwers & Visser (2021). Shared Genetics Between Age at Menopause.
5. Australasian Menopause Society (2020). Early Menopause due to Chemotherapy.
6. Australasian Menopause Society (2020). What is menopause?
7. Castro (2017). Do Animals Have Menopause?
8. Austad (1994). Menopause: an evolutionary perspective.
9. Australasian Menopause Society (2023). Peri-menopause.
10. Harlow et al. (2012). STRAW +10.
11. John Hopkins Medicine (2024). Introduction to Menopause.
12. Australasian Menopause Society (2024). Menopause symptoms.