WHY DO WE RECOMMEND WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS FOR OUR GYNECOLOGY PATIENTS?
If you have been diagnosed with obesity (BMI ≥30), you may be experiencing other problems that we often see in our gynecology office.
Weight loss can be a significant part of your treatment plan at The Gynecology Institute of Chicago. If you have been diagnosed with obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility, stress incontinence, sexual dysfunction, or if you want to reduce your risk of breast, ovarian, or uterine cancers, then you may benefit from the FDA-approved GLP-1 agonist weight loss medication such as Wegovy or other similar medications.
The cause of obesity is multi-factorial and includes genetic, environmental, and social influences.
Genetics play a substantial role in the predisposition to obesity and can contribute up to 70% of the risk
in developing the disease. At the Gynecology Institute of Chicago, we work with you by discussing healthy
nutrition and physical activity counseling for the things you can control, as well as prescribing medications
that can assist in weight loss for the things you cannot control. In this way, we can help improve your underlying gynecological issues such as irregular periods.
Weight loss can have a significant impact on symptom reduction for the following gynecologic
problems:
Cancer: Obesity has been associated with 13 types of cancer, including ovarian, uterine, and breast
cancers . Losing weight can reduce your risk.
Infertility: Obese women, compared to someone with a normal BMI, are three times more likely to
suffer from infertility. With weight loss, the chance of natural conception improves. Ovulatory cycles
improve even with as little weight loss as 2-5%.
PCOS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and obesity are commonly associated. Insulin resistance is
also associated with PCOS and can lead to metabolic and cardiovascular problems. Symptoms of PCOS
such as weight gain, infertility, and irregular periods can improve with weight loss of as low as 5% to 15%. PCOS patients can also lower their risk of heart disease by improving insulin resistance with GLP-1 medication treatment. And keep in mind, it's heart disease that is the number one killer of women!
Urinary Stress Incontinence: Weight loss of 5%-10% can markedly improve symptoms of leakage and even urgency.
Sexual Dysfunction: Weight loss improves sexual dysfunction in women! Who wouldn't like that?
Please call and make an appointment with us if you think you could benefit from our professional, personalized care to get you on the road to wellness and an even happier vagina!
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Cancers associated with overweight and
obesity make up 40 percent of cancers diagnosed in the United States. Retrieved from
2. Disease Progression (2023, January). Rethink Obesity. https://www.rethinkobesity.com/disease-
progression/comorbidities-of-obesity.html
3. Excess Weight, Obesity, and Health (2023, September). Truth About Weight.
https://www.truthaboutweight.com/understanding-excess-weight.html
4. Golden, A. and Kessler, C. (2020) Obesity and genetics. Journal of the American Association of
Nurse Practitioners, 32(7): 493-496. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000447
5. Ryan, D. and Yockey, S. (2017). Weight loss and improvement in comorbidity: differences at 5%,
10%, 15%, and over. Current Obesity Reports, 6(2):187-194. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-017-
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