PCOS and Weight Loss

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"For obese PCOS women weight loss of more than 5% of pretreatment weight restores menstrual regularity in 89%, of whom 30% achieved spontaneous pregnancy."
- Saleh AM, Khalil HS. Review of non-surgical and surgical treatment and the role of insulin-sensitizing agents in the management of infertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2004 Jul;83(7):614-621.


Symptoms of Insulin Resistance and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) can vary widely from woman to woman, ranging from being a cause of infertility to excess weight gain or obesity. They can also include Hirsutism (excessive facial or body hair), Alopecia (male pattern hair loss), obesity, acne, skin tags, Acanthosis Nigricans (brown skin patches), high cholesterol levels, exhaustion or lack of mental alertness, decreased sex drive and excess male hormones like testosterone, as well as sleep apnea ( breathing problems during sleeping) and thyroid trouble.

Insulin Resistance is a root cause of PCOS. It is a direct link to the weight gain so often seen in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Insulin is the hormone responsible for allowing glucose, or blood sugar, to be absorbed by the cells of the body, where it is converted to energy. If you are Insulin Resistant your cells react sluggishly to insulin. When you eat a meal, whether it's steak, fish or vegetables, the body breaks it down into a usable energy form, namely glucose.

In a simplified explanation, the food you consume becomes sugar that will be transported to the tissues, muscles and organs of the body via the blood stream. Following a meal, particularly one that is high in carbohydrates, you will have elevated levels of glucose in the blood stream, which signal the pancreas to release even more insulin until the excess glucose is absorbed by the cells.

When you are Insulin Resistant, excessive amounts of free-floating glucose remain in the blood stream, until it is sent to the liver and converted to excess body fat. In addition, hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin in the blood) encourages your liver to produce even more than normal fatty substances called triglycerides which are directly related to a greater risk of heart disease

Insulin Resistance promotes fat storage because glucose cannot properly enter the cells to be used as energy. Elevated levels of insulin in the blood stream cause a series of biochemical reactions with wide-ranging consequences that can lead to a variety of other serious health conditions, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, Diabetes and some cancers.

"Strolling can help obese adults burn more calories per mile than brisk walking and might even lower the risk of arthritis and injuries to the joints than picking up the pace."
- MSNBC: Slow walking best for obese adults


The interactions of Insulin Resistance, PCOS and obesity are complex and still under medical review. Many scientists believe that this is a case of the "chicken or the egg" - Insulin Resistance contributes to obesity and is an underlying cause of PCOS, but obesity in turn worsens Insulin Resistance, which then has an effect on the development of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

The American Heart Association recommends that health care professionals "routinely monitor body weight (especially the index for central obesity), blood glucose, lipoproteins and blood pressure; treat individuals' risk factors ...and carefully choose anti-hypertensive drugs because different agents have different effects on insulin sensitivity."