Do birth control pills make you fat?

Many women take birth control pills (the famous "pill"), a type of drug that has been on the market since 1960. Perhaps you are already taking birth control, but do you really know how it works? Do you think there are myths in relation to them?

In this article we try to solve a question that has always revolved around the pill, and that is: "Do birth control pills make you fat?" We are going to try to answer this question in this article and, in addition, we will explain what these pills are and what they are for, beyond to prevent a possible pregnancy.

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Do birth control pills make you fat?

To answer the question, "Can birth control pills make me gain weight?", We must first go back one little, first understanding how contraceptive pills work, to later explain what they are and why serving.

Birth control pills modify our metabolism. According to the experts, hormonally, the state caused by the pills is similar to that of a state of pregnancy.

By modifying our metabolism, the pills make us retain more fluids and have more appetite (which increases the probability of eating more and therefore gaining weight).

So, answering the question of whether birth control pills make you fat, we can say that, it is not that they make you fat directly, but that indirectly can make us eat more (by increasing appetite), and by also retaining more fluids, we feel more bloated, etc. But many studies claim that they are not directly fattening.

In short, contraceptive pills are technically not fattening. We found data to support this, such as a recent review by the Cochrane Library. In this review, compiled by the German Institute for Health Quality and Efficiency (IQWiG), the researchers conclude that the Birth control pills do not have a demonstrable or direct effect on weight gain (and neither do other contraceptives hormonal).

Different effects

On the other hand, there are women who will be more affected by this bloating effect, the fact of being hungrier, etc., and there are others who are not so much. In other words, the effects of birth control pills can vary from one woman to another, since each organism is logically different.

Thus, there are women who can gain weight and others cannot (although, we repeat, technically it would not be correct to say that the pill makes you fat, but rather it is an indirect effect). If these women gain weight, but, it is usually in a moderate way (and it is explained by other factors, as we will see later).

The "myth" that "the pill makes you fat"

What's more, Studies suggesting birth control pills themselves are not fattening, published for years. However, in society the message that is transmitted or prevails is precisely the opposite, that they do get fat. Thus, most women believe that birth control pills are fattening.

In fact, there are even studies that indicate that the question that most worries women is whether hormonal contraceptives make you fat or not (and many of them choose not to take contraceptives for this reason).

It is therefore a wrong message that is being transmitted. We must point out that another aspect that particularly worries women is whether or not the contraceptive method in question will alter their mood.

So... why do we get fat "on the pill"?

There are women who start a treatment with contraceptive pills, and begin to gain weight (or to present oscillations in their weight, gain and loss). As we have explained, This is not directly due to the effect of the pill, but it may seem that we have gained weight by retaining more fluids, feel more bloated, etc. (effects that do come from the pill).

On the other hand, there could be other explanations or causes that explain this weight gain. For example, we can relate this fact to our lifestyle. If while we are taking the pills, we start to practice less sports, or to eat more, etc., it is logical that we gain weight.

In addition, many women start taking birth control pills when they are in a stable relationship, perhaps in a period where they "take care" less or are more sedentary, and so on. So this can also influence our weight.

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Birth control pills: what are they and what are they used for?

Now that we have tried to clarify the question of whether birth control pills are fattening or not, let's talk a bit about what these pills are and what they are for.

Contraceptive pills, also popularly called "pill" or "contraceptive pills", began to be marketed more than 50 years ago, in 1960.

They are drugs that make it possible to avoid pregnancy in women, their effectiveness being around 99% (if taken properly). Thus, it is a hormonal contraceptive method, which is administered orally in tablet format (pills or tablets). It is currently the safest method to avoid pregnancy.

Birth control pills are made up of female hormones, specifically of two types of them: estrogens and progestogens. Each type and brand has its specific dose (that is, the doses vary depending on the type of birth control pill).

Other functions

On the other hand, other functions that contraceptive pills fulfill are: to regulate monthly cycles, in the case of women who have irregular monthly cycles; reduce the pain of menstruation, in the case of women who suffer severe menstrual pain, and improve the acne, especially in adolescent girls in times of hormonal alterations (which facilitate the appearance of acne).

All this, but it cannot be generalized, since as we said, each body is different, and contraceptive pills do not produce the same effects for all women. However, it is true that on many occasions birth control pills are prescribed for these other indications, and not only as a contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy.

Other side effects

A) Yes, the weight gain produced by some birth control pills is one of their side effects, but there are more. The main and most serious is that they increase the risk of thrombus formation.

Thrombi are blood clots that form inside a blood vessel and stay there; If the thrombus itself or a part of it detaches from the vessel, it can travel through the bloodstream. In the latter case we speak of a plunger.

The fact that birth control pills increase the risk of thrombus formation means that their use is not recommended in women with a blood pressure disorder. coagulation, or having cardiovascular risk factors (such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking [especially in women over 35 years], hypercholesterolemia, etc.).

In addition to weight gain and the risk of blood clots, birth control pills can cause the following side effects:

• Alterations in the menstrual cycle
• Increased sensitivity of the breasts
• Headaches
• Alterations in mood and mood
• Increased menstrual bleeding
• Sickness

Bibliographic references

• Diaz, S. and Schiappacasse, V. What and what are contraceptive methods. (2017). Chile: Chilean Institute of Medicine.

• González-Hernando, C. and Almeida, M. (2013). The contraceptive pill under debate. University Nursing, 10 (3): 98-104.

• Schwarcz, R., Castro, R., Galimberti, D. et. to the. (2002). Guide for the use of contraceptive methods. Ministry of Health. National Directorate of Maternal and Child Health.