PCOS and Weight

[Madam_Natalie]

Can somebody please tell me where an NHS run Obesity Clinic is in London that specialize is helping people loose weight with PCOS.

I on a very low calorie diet at the moment and I have not lost and have been for the last two weeks with exercise and I've lost nothing at all. I've been eating 900 calories per day with plenty of water.

Before I started my diet, my calorie intake was not that bad in the first place, probably around 1200 at most and my BMI is 36 nearly 37. I am 39 next month and the last time I lost significant weight was when I was at school but I was literally eating nothing at all then going home to do strenuous exercise, plus I went to the gym, plus I did martial arts. I also walked 25 mins to and from school which consisted of steep upward hills. All I did at that time was drink plenty of water and 1 small slice of toast literally everyday.

I have other issues like bad skin and hirtuism both connected to having PCOS but when I expressed this concern to my doctor previously, she said that I must lose weight and starting saying how fat I looked and that she bet's that when I come back to see her in about 10 years time, that I will be double the size bigger. She could not understand how being overweight was one of the signs/symptom/connected of/with PCOS she was being extremely judge-mental then sent me on my way.

Can someone please help me.

[Gary Turner]

I feel for you.

Google 'Flugal Report' and you'll find some really interesting information that will give you some new understanding. Flugal is nothing more than a statistician, using all of the available information. When she presented the report that she was comissioned for there was a bit of an outcry from the comissioning bodies - her report didn't match their expectations!

Basically, in conclusion, being overweight does not affect key health markers any differently to if you are not overweight.

Being fat does not lead to disease and illness - yet is often a symptom (or caused) by that disease or illness.

This information will lead you to be better placed to speak with your doctor about sorting the causation out rather than the symptom.

Hope this helps initially.

Also, reduced calorie diets don't necessarily work - short or long term. More appropriate, and especially for healthy weight loss, change your diet slightly to foods that set you up more for fat burning rather than fat storing.

My suggestion (and this is a generalisation to THIS POST ONLY, NOT FOR EVERYONE!) is to cut back drastically on carbs if weight loss is the answer. Eat from fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy (if tolerant), non-root vegetables, salads, berries, mushrooms and nuts. Eat only when hungry, and stop eating when no longer hungry. Never eat for emotional needs. Only drink when thirsty. This will definitely help you to lose weight.

Shared by some nutrition professor friends that I network with, "exercise is key". I'm not talking becoming a gym bunny. I mean introducing more activity in your day. Go for walks. Garden. Do housework. Get as much movement in your day as you can. The best thing people can do to improve their health is to stand up more.

If you want to take it further, and really target adipose tissue (fat) as an energy source to burn off, get out for 60minutes brisk walking first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. That's if you want to get some quicker results that is!

Here are some ideas for you, to give you better understanding, and to investigate more ways of achieving your aim. Hopefully the other experts will jump in to add to my post, and also to add to the bits of your post I missed.

[Julie Thompson]

Hi Madam_Natalie
Most obesity services within the NHS that have a dietitian employed as part of the service will have experience in treating people with your condition. Perhaps your GP will be able to give you some advice about local weight management services close to your location who may be able to help. Please see the attached link to a British Dietetic Association diet information sheet on PCOS. You may find that following a low glycaemic Index diet possibly would help - although I would be careful to watch the calories in some low glycaemic foods as fats can be low glycaemic and it would perhaps be advisable to watch your intake of those. The attached fact sheet will give you a little more information about the low GI diet however I think seeking a referral to a dietitian would be of benefit to you, so that your goals can be tailored to your situation.

http://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/pcos.pdf

You can always get in touch with Verity who are a charity where you might be able to get more information.

http://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/home

I hope you find this useful.

[Dr Masud Haq]

Hi Madam Natalie

Thank you for your post.

Patients with PCOS often have a combination of hirsuitism (excess hair growth), being overweight and irregular periods. The diagnosis is easily confirmed with blood tests and an ultrasound of your ovaries which have a typical appearance. The hirsuitism is fuelled by low sex hormone binding protein levels and elevated free testosterone and their effect on the hair follicle growth. This can be treated with topical creams and dianette amongst other things but weight loss is key, as this will improve your protein levels.

Metformin is another agent which is often very effective in correcting some of the key metabolic defects in PCOS. It can often help to regulate periods and in combination with exercise and dietary changes can help patients lose weight more easily.

Best wishes
Masud