While the majority of women who participated in a nationwide survey of women aged 18 to 35 believe the answer to these questions is “yes,” the fact is that the answer to both of these questions is “no.” These are some of the myths that affect how millions of American women think about and use birth control pills.

“It’s very important for women to be educated about the birth control pill so that they are able to base their contraceptive decisions on facts, not myths and misinformation,” said A. George Thomas, clinical associate professor, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City. “After 40 years of use, we take for granted that women are fully informed about the Pill, but I find that many of my patients are not. The survey results confirm that we need to do a better job educating women.”

For more information, visit womenshealth.about.com

Using the lowest possible estrogen containing birth control pill should minimize weight gain and swelling from water retention. Current 20 mcgm pills which are the lowest estrogen doses available are:

• Alesse®
• Levlite®
• Loestrin-Fe®
• Mircette®

If you are not taking one of the lowest dose pills, ask your physician or health care provider to switch you to one of the lowest dose pills, especially if you are having any weight gain or fluid retention symptoms.

Any weight gain after starting pills of more than 5% of body weight may be a signal of a woman’s tendency toward insulin resistance or abnormal glucose metabolism. With this amount of weight gain associated with an oral contraceptive, I would suggest the woman be evaluated for possible insulin resistance. If this condition is present, she will have to adopt a low carbohydrate diet. Simple sugars in any amount and high carbohydrate only snacks or meals will negate all other dieting efforts on a daily basis and frustrate any long term ability at weight control.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com

In one study of pills, a formulation containing desogestrel as the progestin and slightly less estrogen had significantly less weight gain when compared to a pill containing norethindrone (Ortho Novum 7/7/7®). This may imply that the specific progestin has a role in weight gain, possibly through a lesser degree of insulin resistance. Or it could be the combination of lower estrogen and the specific progestin but in any case, there was less weight gain. Currently marketed pills with desogestrel as the progestin are Desogen® and Ortho-Cept.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com.

There have been reports through the years, especially with the older, higher dose pills, of adverse effects on insulin resistance. Even recent studies seem to indicate that current pills can raise insulin levels. Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin levels rise in response to carbohydrates and drive all energy into the fat cells and essentially prevent weight loss even with dieting.

Not all women are susceptible to insulin resistance and thus not all women gain weight using oral contraceptives. Those that have a tendency to abnormal glucose metabolism, however may be the ones who gain weight. If a woman gains weight upon starting oral contraceptives and there are not other explanations, she should be checked out for possible insulin resistance.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com

Estrogen in high doses is known to cause weight gain especially that due to fluid retention. The more estrogen there is in a pill, the more tendency to gain weight such that a 50 mcgm pill will result in more weight gain than a 35 mcgm pill.

The mechanism of action is probably direct stimulation by the estrogen in pills of kidney substances called renin-angiotensin that cause water retention. The water retention then causes sodium (salt) retention. A lower estrogen level pill, e.g., 20 mcgm, will help reduce weight gain due to fluid retention.This was confirmed in a more recent study with 30 mcgm pills in which there was essentially no difference in weight gain or weight loss between the placebo group and the oral contraceptive group. Again, however, 30% of these women had a weight gain of more than 1 lb but the net result was the same in the control group. Those who did have weight gain had increased fat but no difference in fluid retention amounts indicating that fluid weight gain may be less of a problem with the newer, lower estrogen pills.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com

Do most women gain weight when starting on oral contraceptives and if so how much?

For the most part, older studies using higher dose pills tend to show an average of about 5 lb weight gain using pills. One study looked at adolescents who were using DeproProvera® (DMPA) for contraception and compared them to other teens using birth control pills. They found that after one year of contraception, the average weight gain was 6.6 lbs (3.0 kg) in the adolescents using shots (DMPA) and 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg) when using oral contraceptives. More importantly, only 7% of pill users gained more than 10% of their body weight while 25% of the DepoProvera® users gained more than 10%. If you just look at the average weight gain of 6.6 lbs vs 5.3 lbs, you would conclude that DMPA had only a slightly higher weight gain than pills. The fact that these averages include 18% more woman who gained greater than 10% of body weight can be hidden by average weight changes. Thus DepoProvera® has a greater side effect of weight gain than oral contraceptives.

In another study with a fairly high dose pill (50 mcgm) from 20 years ago, investigators found an 11.4% weight increase of over 4.4 lbs (2.0 kg) but also a 14.3% incidence of over a 4.4 lbs weight loss on the same pill. In other words there was just as much weight loss as weight gain. This finding could be interpreted as the pills cause no overall weight change in woman on the average, but an alternative explanation is that some women get nauseated from pills and have a net weight loss while the others who did not get nauseated gained a substantial amount of weight.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com

“I have been taking birth control pills for about six months now. I am thrilled at the idea of not becoming pregnant, however, my problem is tremendous weight gain as a result of water retention. I have experienced no increased appetite, however my breasts are a full cup size larger and I feel that I have an added layer onto my body that makes me very uncomfortable. Is there anything that can be done about this problem?” - Anonymous

Before we know if there is any way we can treat weight gain associated with oral contraceptives, we need to know if birth control pills cause fluid retention and by what mechanism, do they cause increased appetite and how, and do they cause temporary or long term weight gain by those or any other mechanisms?

With studies of recent low dose oral contraceptives, the whole premise as to whether there is any change in weight at all with beginning oral contraceptives is in question. This and other studies indicate that, on the average, women do not gain weight because of the pills. Remember this means that if 5-10% of women report weight gain when starting oral contraceptives, there is an identical 5-10% of women who gain weight even though they did not get active birth control pills. In other words the weight gain with pills was coincidental but not a cause and effect.

We know from older birth control pill studies, however, that weight gain was a problem both from fluid retention and from more fat deposition so we need to look at what was learned from those studies because those factors may be active in some women who are sensitive to them even at today’s low pill hormone doses.

For more information, visit wdxcyber.com.

Can certain food compounds be the secret weapon to destroy stubborn belly fat, ignite energy and – most surprisingly — get a leaner and stronger body? Is it true that adding certain missing plant compounds to our diet can make us sexier and healthier? “Evidently yes!” says weight loss and nutrition author of The Warrior Diet™, Ori Hofmekler. But you need to know what to do, or you probably will still bloat up and suffer.

All of us are exposed to estrogenic chemicals day by day. Known as xenoestrogens, they are capable of mimicking estrogen activity in the body. The ongoing assaults of these chemicals affect the body as excess estrogens do with overwhelming and sometimes devastating consequences.

It is almost impossible to avoid these estrogen mimickers. They’re in the air, car emissions, detergents, paints, nail polishes, lotions, soaps, containers, food and water. Most notable sources of estrogenic chemicals are petroleum based products, pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and plastics.

Both men and women may suffer from some of the following symptoms: weight gain in the waist and other areas that virtually resist fat burning, water retention, fatigue and loss of vigor, all of which may be symptoms of excess estrogen due to estrogenic chemicals.

Other symptoms in women such as PMS, headaches, mood swings, and irregular menstrual cycles may also relate to excess estrogen.

Xenoestrogens are not the only reason for excess estrogen. Obesity, aging, birth control pills, estrogen replacement drugs (HRT), anabolic steroids, hormones in meat and dairy, and a poor diet are also major contributors to excess estrogen and its related disorders in men and women.

A most notable sign of aging is the loss of hormones that balance estrogen (progesterone in women and testosterone in men). With age, there is also an increased conversion of androgens to estrogen in both sexes, all of which leaves the body with an excess of renegade estrogen. Ironically, perimenopausal women, who initially lose estrogen, suffer from increased levels of excess estrogen due to the aforementioned reasons.

In summary, our “estrogen cup is full”. Estrogenic chemicals cause a “spill over” effect in the form of excess estrogen and its related disorders.

For more information, visit defensenutrition.com.

Would it surprise you to learn that for many years, women have been deliberately skipping their period? Female athletes and women planning important events such as their wedding or a vacation have simply deferred their period through continuous birth control therapy. That is, they continue to take the pill until they reach a convenient time to have a period.

Once an unconventional practice for a small group of women, continuous birth control therapy is now an oft-discussed topic as new research surfaces regarding its safety and effectiveness.

In addition to the convenience of having no periods and preventing pregnancy, continuous birth control therapy can help with severe PMS, cramping or menstrual pain, endometriosis, and menstrual-related headaches. When the woman is ready to conceive, fertility may return immediately or after a few months.

There are two new additions to the contraception family that make continuous birth control therapy possible for women today, which result in less water retention, less premenstrual weight gain, fewer PMS and menstrual symptoms and the prevention of acne.

For more information, visit doctorsolve.com.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that may affect as many as one in six women. The symptoms can be unpleasant, causing disruption of the menstrual cycle so that fertility is adversely affected. Severe weight gain, bodily and facial hair growth and acne can be other distressing side effects. Now a healthy-eating plan designed by British diet adviser Norah Elizabeth Lane, who has researched PCOS for six years, is helping PCOS sufferers lose weight, regain their confidence and become pregnant.

A special site has been set up for the benefit of PCOS sufferers. Jill Fenske of Los Angeles, California, was one of the first to enroll. Jill was a long term PCOS sufferer who had been told by doctors that she was unlikely to conceive. Having tried many other treatments, Jill joined the Vitaline programme - and it worked! Jill lost 21 lbs in just a few months and astounded her doctors with healthy blood sugar levels and renewed vitality. Having improved her fertility she successfully conceived and in the summer of 2006 gave birth to Reece, a healthy little boy of 8 lb 5oz.

Norah’s company has been established in Britain for 30 years. In this time, Norah has helped thousands of people to lose weight by eating real and healthy food, as well as advising slimmers how to keep the weight off by developing healthy eating habits for life. Now, thanks to the internet, Norah’s diet plans and support services are available to citizens of the USA and Canada.

For more information, visit pcos-vitaline.com.