Birth control most likely to cause weight loss

Below, she gives us the definitive truth on birth control and weight gain. Though the dose of hormones in birth control might cause some changes in the body at first, the idea that it causes lasting weight gain is pure myth, says Richardson. Because it's such a widely reported symptom, scientists have investigated the link between weight gain and birth control many times over. As Richardson emphasizes, though, the evidence points solely to water weight rather than an actual increase in fat or body mass.

One study followed female athletes over the course of two years , only to confirm that their contraception didn't lead to any increases in weight. Another broad analysis published in illustrates that women taking birth control didn't experience any more changes in weight than those in a placebo group. Richardson notes that if you're worried about potential side effects before or just after starting a new kind of birth control, your doctor is your best resource.

On that note, get your full download on birth control here. This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated. The truth about birth control and weight gain. The bottom line. This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used in the place of advice of your physician or other medical professionals.

You should always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider first with any health-related questions. See our full health disclaimer here. Thirty years ago, women were well within their rights to blame all sorts of health complaints on the revolutionary new Pill.

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At those whopping-high doses, side effects were very common — and potentially a lot more dangerous. Piling on the pounds after going on the Pill was also more common back then. Studies using those early high-dose pills tended to show an average weight gain of about 5 pounds. More about that later. Bad reputations, it seems, die hard. If the Pill has a reputation for packing on extra pounds, that notoriety thrives mostly among women, not their doctors. A group of international researchers recently reviewed 39 of the best clinical trials involving this form of birth control and found no statistical evidence that the pills caused an increase in weight.

The findings were the same whether the women took combined oral contraceptives those containing estrogen and progestin or the progestin-only version known as the mini-Pill. Anecdotal evidence which may be all that matters when you happen to be the anecdote in question is another matter entirely. The same is true for women using either the Ortho Evra patch, a thin, matchbook-size device that is worn on the skin, or the NuvaRing, a flexible 2-inch ring that is inserted into the vagina.

Both of these birth-control devices deliver hormones estrogen and a progestin for 21 days out of every month. Studies have not shown that wearers of these devices are more likely to gain weight than women using other contraceptives. The Mirena intrauterine device IUD , which is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to five years, contains only a progestin. There is one hormonal birth-control method that does show a clear link to weight problems: Depo-Provera. An injection of the progestin-only Depo-Provera every three months provides protection against pregnancy that is But almost from its introduction, Depo-Provera developed a reputation among women for causing weight gain.

Doctors, too, noticed problems — but again, only in some of their patients. While some research has shown a rather troubling gain, other studies have found virtually no weight change among Depo-Provera users. The largest of these studies 3, women was done 30 years ago, when the contraceptive was first coming on the market. That study found that, on average, women gained 5. In a recent study from Brazil, women who took Depo-Provera gained an average of 9. In other words, all the women whose average age was 33 gained weight — although the Depo-Provera users did so at more than double the rate.

Several more recent and smaller studies have found, however, that the Shot causes no weight gain. One study even reported that some women on Depo-Provera lost a few pounds. The problem is, there is very little detailed information coming out of these studies that enables a woman to examine her personal risk factors for weight gain, or to know for certain if the weight gain she is experiencing is due to hormonal interference.

Another once-a-month contraceptive injection, Lunelle, has also been linked to significant weight gain. Like the Patch, the Ring and combination pills, it contains an estrogen-progestin formula. Studies have shown that women taking Lunelle can expect to gain an average of 4 pounds during the first year, although some may gain considerably more — up to 20 or more pounds.

So is weight gain linked to the type of progestin used in a contraceptive? Absolutely not, says Scialli.

The Skinny on Birth Control Weight Gain

During the last couple of years, one company, Berlex, has marketed a new birth control pill called Yasmin, which quickly developed a reputation on college campuses and elsewhere as helping women lose — or at least not gain — weight. The implication is, of course, that it also reduces weight caused by bloating. Even Berlex admits that. So, are you only imagining that your clothes started fitting more snugly after you began taking a hormonal contraceptive? To sort that out, consider a few possible scenarios …. Contraceptives that contain estrogen cause some women to retain more fluid than usual.

The results: bloating, breast tenderness and, possibly, weight gain. One recent study, which followed 60 students at Cornell University for their first three months on campus, found that young women gain, on average, a third of a pound per week. Almost as soon as your body matures, your percentage of body fat tends to increase, producing an ever-decreasing need for calories.

And then there are hybrid factors. Unless she pays close attention to these changes — and makes subsequent adjustments in her eating habits and activity levels — she may very well start putting on significant weight. We already know that insensitivity to insulin can lead to type 2 diabetes, a disease associated with being overweight. But some scientists now think that insulin insensitivity may even cause people without diabetes to fatten up, especially around the abdomen. When you begin using a hormonal birth-control method, pay close attention to how your body is reacting.

Consider keeping a weight, diet and exercise log, and also note any mood, energy or sleep-pattern changes that occur. Read the labels and evaluate your options: You may want to switch between methods that contain different progestins, for example. Scialli recommends that women start with generic pills.

If you continue to have weight problems after trying several different formulations of hormones, talk with your doctor about being tested for insulin resistance. Most of the experts interviewed for this article recommend barrier methods of birth control: condoms, the cervical cap and the diaphragm to be used in conjunction with contraceptive jelly or foam. When used properly, such methods offer just as much protection against pregnancy and none of the hormone-related health risks.

Condoms also protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The most important thing is to get informed. Do some research online, pepper your doc with questions, read a book on hormonal health, and then do some more asking around.

Looking back, Hannemann says she wishes she had done more research and talked to more people before selecting her method of birth control. The lower the pill dose, the higher the risk, say the University of Washington researchers who conducted the study. They speculate that heavy women who are using other low-dose hormonal methods of birth control, such as the Patch, may have a similar risk. What does weight have to do with it?

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Heavy women may need higher levels of hormones to prevent pregnancy because of their faster metabolic rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average weight of women in the United States is pounds. In the meantime, you might want to use condoms for backup protection. Shulman Bull Publishing, Learn about all of the hormone systems in your body — from estrogen to insulin.

WEB www. Hatcher is available online. Susan Perry. Your email address will not be published. City and state are only displayed in our print magazine if your comment is chosen for publication. I gained 60 lbs to on Depo Provera and it took a long time years to get my period back and lose the weight. I then went on Paragard and got down to and kept my weight off at lbs for 7 years.

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