The Daily Cardinal
A new study indicates women can no longer attribute the traditional \freshman 15"" to birth-control pills.
According to researchers at Penn State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, low dose oral contraceptive use during adolescence and early adulthood is not associated with weight gain or increased body fat, contrary to widespread belief.
""The pill is stopped for many reasons, one being the perception that it causes weight gain,"" Dr. Richard Legro, co-researcher and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State College of Medicine, said. ""This study provides evidence that this perception if false.""
While previous studies have shown similar results, this study is unique due to its concentration on women under 21, according to Legro.
The long-term study compared 66 young women. Thirty-nine participants used the pill for a minimum of six months and were still users at age 21, and 27 women in the study had never used oral contraceptives.
Results showed that weight, height, body-mass index, body fat and most cardiovascular disease risk factors were similar for both groups.
According to Beth Brukbauer, a nurse practitioner in the women's clinic at University Health Services, there are two common reasons to explain why women feel they gain weight from the pill.
""Women who start on the birth-control pill can initially have a three to five pound weight, gain because they retain more fluid,"" Brukbauer said. ""The early effect is to feel kind of bloated, but that disappears.""
The second is that many women start on the pill before they reach their adult weight which, according to Brukbauer, happens between the ages of 18 and 21.
The study was published in the August 2002 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. It is part of an ongoing observational study that began in 1990 following the reproductive, cardiovascular and bone health in 112 healthy, Caucasian females.
According to several health care professionals, the legend of weight gain may have begun years ago with earlier forms of oral contraceptives.
""I think what many people reference is a pill from their mother's generation, which had higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, sometimes two to three times higher [compared to today],"" said Dr. Scott Spear, director of clinical services at UHS.
Spear added that the main risk of oral contraceptive use is blood clots. This risk is usually hereditary in nature, but increases with tobacco use.
""Generally, the pill shouldn't have any negative side effects ... though some people may experience nausea, breakthrough bleeding or headaches,"" said Lisa Boyce, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. ""If they experience these side effects, it is probably not an appropriate birth control method for them.\
