Do oral contraceptives really cause weight gain?
It is common to associate weight gain to be a side effect of birth control pills. Many women and healthcare providers believe that pills and patches used for contraception can cause weight gain. Concern about weight gain has lead many women to limit the use of some birth control methods, while some even stop using them. Recent studies have revealed the reverse scenario. A randomised trial on 150 young female runners conducted by University of Massachusetts Medical School, researchers confirmed that use of oral contraceptive does not cause weight or fat gain. In another broader analysis published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers did not find evidence supporting any causal association between combination oral contraceptives or skin patch and weight gain. According to experts, women who end up gaining weight, may simply be misperceiving normal weight gain over time as an unwanted side effect of contraceptives.
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