Need help with the Chub Chub!

Pardon the insensitive title of this post, but I'm a little concerned about some recent changes that have occurred in my wife as of late. By posting, I am hoping to receive some help or advice from other women who have experienced similar phenomena.

For my senior thesis I completed a 48 page case study that focused on unexplained weight gain in women who maintain consistent diet and exercise patterns. Lynlee's diet and exercise patterns are the same as they've always been. My concern stems from the fact that Lynlee doesn't match up with any of the common reasons for unexplained weight gain.

She doesn't suffer from lack of sleep, which triggers hormones that affect appetite and satiety. In fact, she's been sleeping a lot more lately and frequently takes naps throughout the day. Sometimes she's dozed off on the couch right in the middle of our coversation.

She doesn't appear to have an increased level of stress. As we know, stress secretes the hormone cortisol, which increases your appetite. Conversely, she appears less stressed than ever. She constantly has a big smile on her face while looking at her tummy. You'd think most women would be concerned about not being able to button their jeans, but Lynlee appears to welcome the pudge.

I don't assume she's experiencing menopause this early in life. The changes with menopause affect hormones that can alter your appetite. Your metabolism slows down and weight gain around the midsection is very common. But she's too young to be going through menopause right? Although come to think of it, for the last 4 months she hasn't been sending me to the store for any emergency "it's that time of the month" products.

In all sincerity, my wife is as beautiful as ever and now has a little bit "more" to love. Although I'm still confused about some of the recent changes in Lynlee's appearance, something tells me that everything will make sense come...................... January 2010.