PCOS: A Weight-Inclusive and Practical Approach to Lifestyle Interventions

Shifting the focus from weight loss to sustainable behavior changes that help better manage hormones will result in improved management of PCOS symptoms, a healthier relationship with food and the body, decreasing the risk of disordered eating.As a diabetes care and education specialist, you may have come across numerous people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in your practice. This is because people living with type 2 diabetes and most people with PCOS have something in common: insulin resistance. Recent research by Tosi shows that as many as 75% of people with PCOS also have insulin resistance, even with a BMI in a normal range. Yet the most common recommendation given to people with PCOS is to lose weight, according to the 2018 international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of PCOS. So, what do you tell people with PCOS with a normal BMI?As you know, weight is not a behavior, and an emphasis on weight loss and only weight loss can result in individuals developing disordered eating and an unhealthy relationship with food and their bodies, as suggested by evidence in American Psychologist and Fertility and Sterility. Shifting the focus from weight loss to sustainable behavior changes that help better manage hormones will result in improved management of PCOS symptoms, a healthier relationship with food and the body, decreasing the risk of disordered eating.