Jim Shelton's Pearls

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June 05, 2003

OCs and Weight Gain

In our clinic, clients sometimes complain about weight gain while taking oral contraceptives. Do OCs cause weight gain?

Probably not on average. If they do, it is very subtle. A recent Cochrane Review assessed 42 trials including 3 pertinent placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (one of which was actually with the contraceptive patch). Notably, none of the randomized trials showed a statistically significant difference in weight gain for OC users compared to the placebo group. The report concludes: "Available evidence is insufficient to determine the effect of combination [oral] contraceptives on weight, but no large effect is evident."

References:
Gallo MF, Grimes DA, Schulz KF et al. Combination contraceptives: effects on weight (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 2. Oxford, UK: Update Software, 2003.

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The "Pearls" offer answers to commonly asked questions about family planning. These "Pearls" are prepared by Dr. James D. Shelton, Senior Medical Scientist, Office of Population, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

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