At one time or another, most women battle with weight gain. Those with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) have a very difficult time losing the weight they have gained. Of all the hormonal disorders affecting females of childbearing age, PCOS is the most common.
It can cause problems with fertility for many women. PCOS patients have elevated male hormone levels that cause insulin resistance. In turn, women gain weight and become either overweight or obese. This weight gain increases the risk for developing uterine cancer, sleep apnea, heart disease and diabetes.
How Does PCOS Lead To Weight Gain?
Insulin is a hormone that in a healthy person, takes starch and sugar from food and turns it into energy. Those with PCOS have a harder time using this insulin, leading to insulin resistance, a condition in which glucose accumulates in the bloodstream.
When a woman has too much insulin, their body starts to over-develop androgen, a kind of male hormone. This hormone causes a number of problems, including irregular periods, acne, excess hair and most commonly, weight gain. Since male hormones cause this problem, women tend to gain weight in the area where men tend to gain weight—the abdomen. Rather than having a body with a pear shape, PCOS patients’ bodies become apple shaped.
Of all the kinds of fat to have, abdominal fat is the most dangerous, as it leads to a number of health problems, including heart disease.
What Specific Problems Can Occur From PCOS Weight Gain?
All weight gain can cause serious health problems. But, PCOS, insulin resistance and weight gain all increase the risk and severity of certain health problems. Some of these potential issues include:
- Infertility
- High Cholesterol
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep Apnea
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Endometrial Cancer
Most of the above conditions can also cause heart disease. Statistically, females that have PCOS are between four to seven more times likely to suffer from a heart attack than females in the same age group who do not have the condition.
Medical professionals also agree that the weight gain can cause other PCOS-related problems, including acne and menstrual abnormalities.
How Does Someone With PCOS Lose Weight?
In addition to helping you feel and look better, losing weight can help ease the symptoms of PCOS. You may be able to get back normal menstrual periods by simply losing 10% of your body weight. Losing weight also eases other symptoms of the condition, as well, most importantly improving insulin sensitivity.
Weight loss will improve your body’s response to insulin, which in turn lowers your chances of getting heart disease, diabetes and other PCOS problems. However, as already mentioned, losing weight when you have PCOS is exactly simple. However, it does take effort on your part to be effective. Here are some suggestions:
- Increase your fiber intake and reduce your sugar intake. Eat lots of healthy foods, like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Stay away from fatty and processed foods to stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Blood sugar levels respond better to small meals. Therefore, do not eat three, larger meals each day; instead, have four to six smaller ones throughout the day.
- Workout for a half an hour a day each day.
Still Gaining Weight? Need More Help?
Losing excess weight when you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can be very difficult, but there are ways to lose weight that are proven to work. See the video below for some tips on choosing the right foods to eat.
