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 [...]
In one study of pills, a formulation containing desogestrel as the progestin and slightly less estrogen had significantly less weight gain when compared to a pill containing norethindrone (Ortho Novum 7/7/7®). This may imply that the specific progestin has a role in weight gain, possibly through a lesser degree of insulin resistance. Or it could [...]
There have been reports through the years, especially with the older, higher dose pills, of adverse effects on insulin resistance. Even recent studies seem to indicate that current pills can raise insulin levels. Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin levels rise in response to carbohydrates and drive all energy into the fat cells [...]
Despite a common belief that birth control pills cause weight gain, a new comprehensive review of previous studies finds no evidence it is true.
“There’s evidence that women may switch methods of birth control or stop using the pill because they think it contributes to weight gain,” said Laureen Lopez, Ph.D., a review co-author. “The good [...]