The Pill and overweight don't mix

Kit_

Cathlete
Has anyone else read about it in Shape or the American Fitness Journal? Overweight women who take the pill, are more at risk for an unexpected pregency, no matter if they take it, perfectly. Most recommend if your overweight and really don't want a child to add another form of protection. This is mainly for those who have 27% bodyfat and above. Another super good reason to workout everyday, and work at losing the weight. But it still surprised me, that at 27% you start losing some of the pill effectiveness and it went down as your body fat went up. So if your in that body fat range, be careful and check with you doctor.

Kit
 
I wonder if overweight women are more at risk for pregnancy, or if it's that slim women are less likely to be able to get pregnant for physiological reasons.

This is kind of an area of concern for me, & the more I hear the more confused I get.
 
I think Shape or Fitness had an article recently or just a chart or whatever about the effectiveness of different birth controls increasing with the individual's age. I thought it was interesting. Some of the ones that varied widely when someone is in their 20s were virtually identical, efficacy wise, later on.
It is amazing to me, the different things (like antibiotics etc) that can affect the efficacy of some forms of birth control.

Jen
 
The pill has been a really confusing topic for me for a long time now. I was on it for about 3 years and ended up gaining about 20 pounds even though my exercising went way up. It was awful and to top it off, my doctor was not willing to admit that my weight gain could have been caused by the pill. It seems like a catch 22 if the pill could contribute to weight gain and also have the effectiveness of it lowered because of that weight gain.
 
I agree that their is so much debate in Birth Control effectiveness, everyone i know seems to know someone that became pregnant while on the pill - so what is the point of putting those harmful hormones in your body?? I just got off it after being a DieHard depo fan for over 7 years - forget it - I switched to seasonale for the last three months, but I am finally DONE with the pill - so sick of the controversies and nobody seems to really know anything......

I am looking into the Natural Birth Control method and also using backup :) NO MORE UNWANTED HORMONES FOR ME - I HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY!;)
 
"I was on it for about 3 years and ended up gaining about 20 pounds even though my exercising went way up. It was awful and to top it off, my doctor was not willing to admit that my weight gain could have been caused by the pill."

I gained 10 pounds in my first cycle of Tricylen... years ago. I also broke out. My lipid profile was alarming. When I discussed this with my doc (before I became a Women's Health NP), I was told Tricyclen was the best pill to avoid weight gain and it treats acne... improves the lipid profile... blah... blah... blah.

Well, I read the research now. I know how most people react to a particular menthod, but there are always exceptions like myself who don't respond how the majority do. :) When I provide client education, I share the basic info but always add we are all different. We need to receive individualized care and not be dismissed when we experience side effects, etc.

Autumn

~I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is.~
 
Autumn very true, everyone is different and especially every female cycle, and even from month to month for some, while others only experience bi-yearly changes.

The pill is getting more confusing, but there is a reason for it. There are so many different type of women on it now. It's like all drugs once it becomes, the hand out drug. IE, about any and every doctor will hand it out to you, there are more and more side affect, more and more, oh it doesn't work with this, works too well with that, etc. Because there is no way, that any medicine can be tested completely with everything and everyone. If we even tried to do that for one medicine, and made it in 1800, today it still wouldn't be out on the market for there would still be a few billion things to test with it, and that would before it even touched a human..

This is also why modern medicine is scary, we are just now learning about the *pill*. And we now have enough willing takers of the drug to have in-depth studies as well as what happens, when you take it long term, say until menopause. This is something that's not really been test, sure they tested women who were 20, 30, 40, and 50 with the drug to see if it was safe and effective, but they didn't give it to a 20 year old and have her take it until age 50.

Now look at all the other drugs that are in your house, some maybe OTC, others prescription. If they are hand me outs, or have been around for 100 years, they you'll have an idea about the long term side affects even you believe it can't happen to you, but a lot we still haven't found. If they are in the *new breed* no one even has an idea about the long term side affects of what your currently taking. Nor how it reacts with everything out there, so when your taking meds, use very little herbs, even to season food preferably none, as most aren't tested to see if there safe, read up on your drug, see what type of tests it's been threw, and don't mix and match by yourself. This is why, there have been so many drugs in the news, as we find out about this side affect, and if used that way it doesn’t work. If used with herbs it kills you, etc. It is very confusing an for those who don’t have time, or up into the medical knowledge your very dependent on the doctor, to tell you all the bad things. Just the problem is, the doctor doesn’t know, no one does.

So in many ways we are still in the stone age of medicine, and we are now just learning what we can do to ourselves, good, bad, or other. So keep your ear to the news, understand what it’s warning you about, try to find out the reason behind it. Mostly for your own safety, especially if you or family take it. Or maybe taking it, like medicine for when you get older, or over the counter stuff, and birth control if you do that. This will allow you to go to your doctor and ask questions that you really need to know the answers too. This will keep you healthier longer, and you’ll have the ability to help keep yourself from the harmful side affects. As you’ll have the knowledge of what your putting in your body, why, what it does, etc, and what it has at least been tested with. This will at least give you a base as what to take with it, and what not to try without consulting a medical professional.

Kit
 
Maximus,

It may be due to the weight:hormone ratio. A couple of studies 3 years ago found that women with a greater body weight have 1 1/2 times greater risk of oral contraceptive failure but the risk increased to 2 1/2 times if LOW DOSE OCPS were prescribed. I have other expert opinions that find no greater risk related to weight.
What we know or think we know is always evolving though.

Autumn
 
The low dose BC pill, Mircette has been a Godsend for me. Without it, due to peri-menopausal issues, I would be a nut case. My doctor said I could either go on anti-depressents or the BC pill. To me, treating the hormonal imbalance made more sense.

I've been on it for five years and it's been a life saver. I felt I had to determine my quality of life versus my length of life. I know there is medical proof that synthetic estrogen can contribute to breast cancer but I'm willing to take the risk. I exercise, eat healthy and get my pap and mamogram check ups as scheduled and have no family history of cancer. If something detrimental should arise later in life, I'm willing to deal with it then.

Weight gain has not been an issue but I do think I have a tendency to hold onto water. I just try to drink more to flush it out.
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top