Studies have revealed that 38%-88% of women with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, are overweight or obese. Further, women with obesity are more likely to develop PCOS than women without obesity.
PCOS does affect your body weight, and your body weight may play a role in the development of this gynecological condition. Though maintaining a healthy weight is more challenging for women with PCOS, it’s not impossible. And improving your weight may alleviate other health issues you have from PCOS, such as infertility.
Our team at Obstetrics & Gynecologists, PC, knows how challenging it is for women with PCOS to manage their weight. Though researchers are still investigating the connection between weight and PCOS, they theorize hormones play a major role. Here, we examine PCOS and weight and how they’re connected.
Before we get into the connection between PCOS and weight, here’s a quick overview of PCOS so you have a better understanding of how it might affect weight.
PCOS is a gynecological condition that occurs in women who produce too much androgen, a male sex hormone. Having high amounts of androgen interferes with the function of your ovaries, affecting ovulation and your menstrual cycle.
Women with PCOS have an irregular cycle and may have fewer than eight periods a year or might stop menstruating altogether. The high androgen levels also cause other symptoms, such as excessive facial hair growth and acne.
Weight gain and difficulty losing weight are common symptoms of PCOS. The exact connection isn’t clear, but it may have something to do with insulin, the hormone that helps transport glucose from your blood to your cells for energy.
A large percentage of women with PCOS also have insulin resistance, meaning the cells are resistant to the actions of the insulin, leading to an increase in glucose levels in the blood. Because your cells are still “hungry” for energy, you feel hungry and eat more.
Any excess sugar and calories you consume are then turned into fat, leading to weight gain. Excess body weight worsens insulin resistance and increases risk of Type 2 diabetes.
In an effort to improve blood glucose levels, the body releases more insulin into the blood, triggering an increase in androgen production. Researchers believe excess androgen is one of the main contributing factors in the development of insulin resistance in women with PCOS. So, excess androgen may trigger insulin resistance and the insulin resistance may then increase androgen production.
PCOS is a life-long condition, and treatment centers around symptom management. Weight loss is one of the treatments for PCOS. Losing as little as 10% of your body weight may improve PCOS symptoms by lowering blood glucose and improving hormone balance.
Nutrition, physical activity, and sleep are important for weight management with PCOS. We can help you make the lifestyle changes that lead to a healthier weight. We may also prescribe medications that help balance hormones to improve your PCOS symptoms.
PCOS does affect your body weight, but improving how you manage this gynecological condition benefits your weight and health.
Our team is ready to help you take control of your PCOS and your health. Call our office or request an appointment online to set up an appointment with one of our women’s health experts at Obstetrics & Gynecologists, PC, in Hastings and Grand Island, Nebraska, today.
