Struggling With Your Weight? PCOS May Be to Blame.

By Stephen Eric Metzinger, MD, MSPH, PACS

Breast and body contouring surgery may improve polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Liposuction, breast reduction and tummy tucks combined with diet and exercise can provide enough weight loss to improve PCOS.

The study, headed by Yvonne Jeanes, Ph.D., of the Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Roehampton in London, documented binge eating behaviors in women with PCOS that pose potential barriers to weight control, the mainstay of treatment for this common endocrine disease. This is the first study to robustly report binge eating behaviors and food cravings in a large cohort of women with PCOS using validated tools.

The binge eating symptom scores of obese women with PCOS were significantly greater than the scores of their overweight and lean counterparts. The severity of binge eating was found to be “clinically significant” or “high degree” in 39% of obese women with PCOS.

Sufferers of PCOS Struggle with Weight-Loss Programs

PCOS is known to worsen with weight gain and/or improve with weight loss. Metabolic and reproductive health in overweight women with PCOS improves with as little as five to 10 percent weight loss. The sustained lifestyle changes necessary to maintain these improvements may be particularly challenging in women with PCOS.

“Overweight and obese women with PCOS face a lot of challenges. These include a higher risk of anxiety and depression. I believe women would benefit from psychological support to help enable them to address their need to lose weight,” Jeanes said. “I hope this study increases healthcare professionals’ awareness of the very high prevalence of binge eating behavior exhibited in all women with PCOS.”

Aesthetic Surgical Associates believes a new approach may be helpful. One that evaluates medications—like those known to contribute to binge eating. And also, an approach utilizing breast and body contouring, along with improved diet
and exercise, to lose weight.