A study released Wed. Jan. 19, 2011 from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) finds that the contraceptive pill does not, as commonly believed, cause weight gain. Many women stop taking the pill because they feel it is causing wight gain but that perception, the study says, is not true.
“The No. 1 reason women discontinue contraceptive pills is a perceived weight gain.” said lead author of the study, Dr. Alison Edelman. "It's a commonly held belief."
Dr. Edelman, a physician and a researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at OHSU, says that often people looking for a reason they are adding pounds blame medication. “Adults gain weight as they get older. Women as well as men go through a lot of changes,” she said. "Birth control pills are one of the most commonly used medications. If you have a weight gain, you blame something you take.”
Birth Control Pill Study Did Not Use Humans
The study did not use human subjects but monkeys, rhesus monkeys. The reproduction system of these primates, Dr. Edelman says, is "nearly" identical to that of humans. She said they intend to move the research into human subjects and said that the were already "studying women to look at weight and efficacy of birth control pills."
The study looked at two groups of monkeys, one of normal weight, the other group obese. Each were given oral contraceptives, the dosage matching human dosages based on body weight. They compiled data on the monkeys for eight months and found that those with normal weight remained the same while those who were overweight actually lost body fat and weight. The loss, researchers feel, was due to a slightly higher metabolic rate from the pill. None gained weight.
In an OHSU press release the senior author of the study, Judy Cameron, said that the OHSU was aware that the study does not conclusively determine that weight loss is not a byproduct of the pill. “We realize that research in nonhuman primates cannot entirely dismiss the connection between contraceptives and weight gain in humans,” Cameron wrote. “But it strongly suggests that women should not be as worried as they previously were."
Research on Jell that Could Replace Oral Contraception
In a related story from Oct. of 2010, tests on a new method of preventing pregnancy suggest it does not have any side effects the pill does and may be safe for breastfeeding women. The new method is a gel rubbed on the abdomen or arms and researchers at The Population Council, a non-profit health group based in New York, say it is easily absorbed.
They have been testing the gel and presented their results to the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Denver in October of 2010 and say the results are encouraging. "What we were very pleased about was that not only did it prevent ovulation, but that the women seemed to be so positive and seemed to like it so much," said Dr. Ruth Merkatz, director of clinical development at The Population Council.
The chief ingredient in the gel is a synthetic hormone called Nesterone, Dr. Merkatz said. The gel is rubbed daily on the skin and, Dr. Merkatz said that, just as with the pill, patch or vaginal ring, it releases hormones and prevents ovulation.
OHSU Study on Weight Gain and Pill
The study on weight gain and the pill will appear in the February edition of the journal Human Reproduction and was funded by the 'Society for Family Planning.'
"This study suggests that worries about weight gain with pill use appear to be based more on fiction than on fact," said Cameron.
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