Birth Control - Weight Gain

Do most women gain weight when starting on oral contraceptives and if so how much?

For the most part, older studies using higher dose pills tend to show an average of about 5 lb weight gain using pills. One study looked at adolescents who were using DeproProvera® (DMPA) for contraception and compared them to other teens using birth control pills. They found that after one year of contraception, the average weight gain was 6.6 lbs (3.0 kg) in the adolescents using shots (DMPA) and 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg) when using oral contraceptives. More importantly, only 7% of pill users gained more than 10% of their body weight while 25% of the DepoProvera® users gained more than 10%. If you just look at the average weight gain of 6.6 lbs vs 5.3 lbs, you would conclude that DMPA had only a slightly higher weight gain than pills. The fact that these averages include 18% more woman who gained greater than 10% of body weight can be hidden by average weight changes.

Thus DepoProvera® has a greater side effect of weight gain than oral contraceptives.

In another study with a fairly high dose pill (50 mcgm) from 20 years ago, investigators found an 11.4% weight increase of over 4.4 lbs (2.0 kg) but also a 14.3% incidence of over a 4.4 lbs weight loss on the same pill. In other words there was just as much weight loss as weight gain. This finding could be interpreted as the pills cause no overall weight change in woman on the average, but an alternative explanation is that some women get nauseated from pills and have a net weight loss while the others who did not get nauseated gained a substantial amount of weight.

For more information, visit healthcentral.com

Provigro

Provigro is a Scientifically Proven Way To Achieve Erections When She Needs You To Every Time . . .Or its FREE! New Breakthrough Medical Science Literally Increases Blood Flow to Erections, GUARANTEED! The Truth Is In The Numbers: 100% of Provigro Users Report Positive Results, Over 90% Within The First 24 Hours.

Check Prices on Provigro

Women often blame the birth control pill for weight gain. But studies have shown that the effect of the birth control pill on weight is small — if it exists at all.

However, the way the hormones in birth control pills act on tissues in your breasts, hips and thighs can make you feel as if you’ve gained weight. This is usually due to fluid retention and not increased body mass or fat. Estrogen in birth control pills directly affects fat (adipose) cells, making them larger, but not greater in number.

In very rare circumstances women may add muscle, which can add weight, when taking the pill. This is due to the slight male-sex-hormone effect that the pill may have on some women.

But no matter if pill-related weight gain is perceived or real, many women find this side effect undesirable. Taking pills with a low dose of estrogen may diminish these effects, but you may also experience a greater risk of spotting between periods.
For more information, visit mayoclinic.com

While the majority of women who participated in a nationwide survey of women aged 18 to 35 believe the answer to these questions is “yes,” the fact is that the answer to both of these questions is “no.” These are some of the myths that affect how millions of American women think about and use birth control pills.

“It’s very important for women to be educated about the birth control pill so that they are able to base their contraceptive decisions on facts, not myths and misinformation,” said A. George Thomas, clinical associate professor, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City. “After 40 years of use, we take for granted that women are fully informed about the Pill, but I find that many of my patients are not. The survey results confirm that we need to do a better job educating women.”

Survey Finding:: Sixty-one percent of women surveyed believe the Pill causes weight gain.

Fact: Not all birth control pills cause weight gain. An equal number of women tend to gain weight as lose weight while taking a birth control pill. In clinical studies of Ortho Tri-cyclen, women reported no more weight gain than women who were taking inactive pills. Women concerned about weight gain should talk with their healthcare professionals.

Survey Finding: Almost half of survey respondents believe women need to take a break from using the Pill.

Fact:: Women don’t need a break from the Pill. “Today, more women are using the Pill and staying on it longer,” said Dr. Thomas. “And, research shows that women do not need to take a break from the Pill.” Healthcare professionals can prescribe birth control pills to healthy, nonsmoking women over 40. But, how long a woman stays on the Pill is something she should discuss with her healthcare professional.

For more information, visit Womenshealth.about.com