January 26, 2011
No Weight
Gain with
Birth Control
Study casts
doubt on
common belief
The commonly held belief that
oral contraceptives cause weight
gain appears to be false, accord
ing to research conducted at the
Oregon National Primate Research
Center at Oregon Health & Sci
ence University.
Weight gain is one of the main
reasons why women may avoid
or discontinue birth control,
which in turn places them at greater
risk for an unplanned pregnancy.
To conduct their research, sci
entists and physicians studied a
group of rhesus macaque mon
keys for almost a year. The spe
cies were used because their re
productive system is nearly iden
tical to humans. However, unlike
human studies, more variables
can be controlled and measured -
such as exact food intake - to
provide more meaningful data.
At the beginning of the study,
half the animals were obese and
half were normal weight. During
the eight-month treatment period,
animals received doses of oral
contraceptives, adjusted to the
weight of the animals so that it
mimicked dosage in humans.
Researchers tracked weight,
food intake, activity levels, body
fat and lean muscle mass. At the
study’s conclusion, the normal
weight group remained weight
stable whereas the obese group
lost a signi ficant amount of weight
(8.5 percent) and percent of body
fat (12 percent) due to an in
crease in basal metabolic rate. No
changes were seen in food intake,
activity or lean muscle mass for
either group.
“This study suggests that wor
ries about weight gain with pill
use appear to be based more on
fiction than on fact,” said Judy
Cameron, senior author of the
paper and a researcher at the
primate center.
“We realize that research in
nonhuman primates cannot en
tirely dismiss the connection be
tween contraceptives and weight
gain in humans, but it strongly
suggests that women should not
be as worried as they previously
were,” Cameron said.
Jìortlanò (Dbserucr
Back Pain during Pregnancy
For Your Health
by
D r . R ichard N. W aldman
Back pain during pregnancy
is one of the most common
d isco m fo rts that p reg n an t
women experience. Many fac
tors contribute to pregnancy-
related back problems. A grow
ing belly, extra weight and
changes in hormones are all
major culprits.
As a pregnancy progresses,
the uterus becomes heavier,
changing your center of grav
ity. This may cause you to lean
backward in the later months of
pregnancy, a posture that puts
much m ore stress on the
muscles of your back.
Additionally, the abdominal
muscles that usually support the
Page 7
spine stretch to accommodate the
fetus and may become weak,
causing the back to work harder.
Pregnancy hormones also relax
ligaments in the weight-bearing
joints of the pelvis in preparation
for delivery. While it allows the
joints to become more flexible, it
can make back pain worse.
Paying special attention to how
you sit, stand, and move may help
ease back pain. Try these tips:
Sit in chairs with good back
support, or use a small pillow
behind your lower back.
Wear low-heeled (but not flat)
shoes with sufficient arch sup
port. Walking or athletic shoes
are a good option. Avoid high
heels—they tilt your body for
ward and can strain the back.
Try not to stand for long peri
ods of time. If you can’t avoid it,
rest one foot on a stool or box to
take the pressure off your back.
Ask for help when lifting heavy
packages. If you must lift some
thing on your own, remember to
squat down while bending at the
knees, and stand up with a straight
back.
If your bed is too soft, placing
a board between the mattress and
box spring may help. Also, try to
sleep on your side with one or
two pillows between your legs
for support.
Talk to your doctor about sup
port devices such as a maternity
girdle, elastic sling, or back brace.
Or check maternity stores and
catalogs for abdominal support
garments or maternity pants with
a wide elastic band that fits under
the curve of your belly to help
support its weight.
Soothe back pain by applying a
heat pad on the lowest setting, a
warm water bottle, or a cold com
press.
If your back pain is severe or
lasts for more than two weeks, tell
your doctor. It may be a signal of
other problems, such as preterm
labor.
For more information and to
find exercises to strengthen the
back, the patient education pam
phlet “Easing Back Pain during
P regnancy” is available at
acog.org/publications.
Dr. Richard N. Waldman is
president of the American Con
gress of Obstetricians and Gyne
cologists.
i
SEASONS
M A R K E T |
N O W D E L IV E R IN G
Y o u r fa v o r ite n e ig h b o r h o o d g r o c e r y s t o r e n o w d e liv e r s
g r o c e r ie s r ig h t t o y o u r h o m e o r o ffic e .
w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a r k e t.c o m
you click, we deliver, (or pull up for pick up)