PCOS and Eating Behaviors Study

Women with PCOS may have higher emotional and uncontrolled eating scores, reveals research published in the Fertility and Sterility.

A study was done to investigate eating behavior domains—emotional, uncontrolled, and cognitive restraint eating—in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with different PCOS phenotypes and women without PCOS at midlife.

Study Design

A prospective cohort study. Eating behavior domains were assessed at age of 46 years. Predictors of eating behaviors were evaluated using variables collected at ages of 31 and 46 years. Women identified as having PCOS (n = 251) at age of 31 years using the updated Rotterdam criteria were compared with women without any PCOS criteria (n = 935).

The PCOS population comprised:

• Women with the classic A+B-phenotype (hyperandrogenism and oligomenorrhea, with or without elevated antimüllerian hormone, n = 60)
• C-phenotype (hyperandrogenism and elevated antimüllerian hormone, n = 84)
• D-phenotype (oligomenorrhea and elevated antimüllerian hormone, n = 86)

Results

Compared with women without PCOS, women with PCOS exhibited higher scores for emotional (33.1 ± 27.8 vs. 39.0 ± 29.9) and uncontrolled eating (26.7 ± 18.2 vs. 30.7 ± 19.4) but no difference in cognitive restraint (46.6 ± 18.6 vs. 45.9 ± 18.5) at age of 46 years.

Emotional and uncontrolled eating scores were higher in the A+B-phenotype compared with women without PCOS, whereas uncontrolled eating scores in the C-phenotype were higher than in women without PCOS and the D-phenotype.

At age of 46 years, the perception of overweight was an independent predictor of emotional eating among women with PCOS (B = 11.96 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 2.81–20.29]), whereas a history of weight loss attempts was a predictor of uncontrolled eating (B = 6.06 [95% CI: 1.05–10.83]).

Among women with PCOS, higher psychological distress at age of 31 years was a significant risk factor for scoring in the highest quartile of emotional (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.85 [95% CI: 1.19–6.85]) and uncontrolled eating (aOR: 4.37 [95% CI: 1.77–10.80]) at age of 46 years.

Women with PCOS at midlife showed a high tendency for unfavorable eating behaviors. Our findings emphasize the need for sensitivity in weight management counseling and addressing psychological distress to prevent unfavorable eating in this population.

Reference

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at risk of emotional and uncontrolled eating at midlife: a population-based cohort study. Pesonen, Emilia et al. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 0, Issue 0