Can Birth Control Make You Gain Weight?
Family planning is crucial when starting a family. It comes with many benefits, and it can determine how well-off your family will be. Thanks to modern science, there are various methods from which you can choose.
It’s not uncommon for women to struggle with choosing a contraceptive method, especially when considering hormonal birth control. A lot of unconfirmed claims that have gone mainstream have it that hormonal birth control methods make women fat.
To this claim, researchers have carried many studies and found no evidence that suggests hormonal birth control does, indeed, make you fat (1). But still, many women have held back on family planning because of these false anecdotes. This article will give you a better insight into family planning and weight gain.
Birth Control Pills And Weight Gain
Within months and or weeks after using a birth control pill, many women report cases of weight gain or loss. Many reasons can make this happen. However, science suggests that birth control methods don’t cause women to gain weight (2).
Gaining Weight From Pills
According to an NCBI report, earlier manufactured birth control pills had higher levels of hormones than the ones manufactured today (3). The estrogen and progestin hormones in these earlier pills could cause women to add some weight due to an increase in water retention. However, this only lasts for a while, and the women tend to go back to their usual sizes.
Gaining Weight From Shots
Unlike pills, shots can make a specific set of women add some weight, for example, obese women. One study conducted in 2009 found that a quarter of the women had a 5% increase in size in the weeks following their first use of shots. The women added more weight six months after their first use (4).
The study found that other women had insignificant weight gain in the long term and short term periods. Although, the younger obese women showed more likelihood of gaining weight from shots than others.
Shots can cause women to gain weight, albeit negligible. Such insignificant weight gain, however, can make it unsuitable for you.
Gaining Weight From Birth Control Patches
As opposed to other birth control methods such as oral contraception, less than 1 out of 100 women would get pregnant with the birth control patch. Research shows that the birth control patch increases estrogen in the body as compared to pills, which in turn causes some adverse effects such as weight gain and fatigue (5).
Possible Causes Of Weight Gain
Aside from shots and patches, which can cause some women to gain weight, other birth control methods don’t make women add or lose weight.
For women who experience weight gain after using certain birth control methods, here are some of the reasons behind it:
- Change In Overall Routine
Even without using family planning, living a sedentary lifestyle will make anyone gain weight. The body needs some activity, no matter how little. It can be just taking walks in the morning or evening.
- Dietary Change
Food plays a significant role in weight gain. Monitoring your level of food consumption will help you better manage your weight.
- Changes in Rate of Metabolism
Metabolism can be defined as the process by which the body converts what you eat and drink into energy (6). As you age, the rate of metabolism gets weaker, slowing down your body’s ability to break down calories.
You can visit your physician to know how best to handle this.
- Genes
Your genetic make-up can cause you to gain weight, according to a study by researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (7).
Managing Weight Gain While Using Birth Control
Below are a few tips to reduce weight gain:
Exercise: You can begin a good exercise routine, along with eating healthy.
Hydration: When you drink a lot of water, it will reduce bloating and thirst-related hunger.
Calorie Restriction: You can reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories a day (8). Calorie reduction is a weight reduction method certified by the American Family Physician.
The research on birth control and weight gain isn’t conclusive. However, most studies have confirmed birth control doesn’t cause significant weight gain. Before choosing any method, talk to your physician.
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