Birth Control Pills and Weight Gain

Birth control pills have often been associated with weight gain. Some birth control pill users complain of significant weight gain over a period of one year, whereas some claim moderate to no weight gain. An angle among these accusations of weight gain due to birth control pills is that some of their users have instead lost weight. It is more likely that due to the altered hormonal levels in the body different users can respond differently to oral contraception. An alternative understanding on the subject suggests that some women lose weight on the account of the other side-effects of the pills, such as nausea, rather than due to the medication.

According to the findings of some earlier research, following could be the reasons for the oral contraceptives-triggered weight gain:

Fluid Retention: It is believed that Estrogen in the oral contraceptives stimulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), or renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a hormone responsible for regulating fluid levels in the body. Some studies have established a direct link between the oral contraceptives and triggering of the RAS system. Under this stimulus, the body starts retaining more fluid than regular, thereby leading to weight gain.

Insulin Resistance: Oral contraceptives have also been responsible for insulin resistance, a condition in which more than the regular proportion of carbohydrates is converted into fat cells. Insulin is an important hormone, which regulates the critical function of metabolism (oxidation of food and building up of cells) in the body. If you develop insulin resistance (essentially, an increase in the level of the hormone in the body) under the influence of the birth control pills, you are more than likely to have considerable weight gain.

Despite the usual notion of increased weight due to oral contraceptives, more and more studies are showing little or no relation between the two. In fact, the changing body weight is more a result of cyclic changes rather than anything else. Therefore, before you choose to discontinue your birth control pills, seek medical help to develop an objective and informed opinion.

Learn more about our Phoenix Birth Control Clinical Trial