Birth Control Pills Do Not Cause Weight Gain, New Research Suggests

According to research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, the commonly held belief that oral contraceptives cause weight gain appears to be false. The results of the study are published online and will appear in next month's edition of the journal Human Reproduction.

At the beginning of the study, half the animals were obese and half were normal weight. During the eight-month treatment period, animals received doses of oral contraceptives, adjusted to the weight of the animals so that it mimicked dosage in humans. Researchers tracked weight, food intake, activity levels, body fat and lean muscle mass. At the study's conclusion, the normal weight group remained weight stable whereas the obese group lost a significant amount of weight (8.5%) and percent of body fat (12%) due to an increase in basal metabolic rate. No changes were seen in food intake, activity or lean muscle mass for either group.

Original Paper:

Edelman, J. T. Jensen, M. Bulechowsky, J. Cameron. Combined oral contraceptives and body weight: do oral contraceptives cause weight gain? A primate model. Human Reproduction, 2010; DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deq335

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119141901.htm