With 23 postmenopausal and 33 premenopausal females the interactions between circadianic secretion patterns of estradiol, growth hormone, IGF I, prolactin, DHEA-S as well as cortisol and the amount and distribution of subcutaneous body fat, estimated by using 10 absolute body measures and 10 anthropometric indices were tested. Premenopausal and postmenopausal women differed regarding the secretion patterns of estradiol and growth hormone significantly from each other. Furthermore it turned out, that the daily secretion rate, estimated by using the area under the curve, of growth hormone and estradiol correlated significantly with the amount and the distribution of body fat. In both proband groups more corpulent women had lower growth hormone levels and higher estradiol levels. The age dependent reduction of growth hormone secretion may be co-responsible for the general weight gain with increasing age. The reduced estrogen secretion however, seems to be the major determinant of the expression of a more masculine type of fat distribution during climacteric and after the menopause.