After recently posting a blog regarding why it can be difficult for people to lose weight, regardless of how hard they try, we received a question by one of our readers regarding her personal health concern and its effect on her weight loss efforts. She was concerned that her Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome could be causing her inability to shed pounds.

Fortunately, she’s not far off with her conclusion. Unfortunately, there are many factors related to her PCOS that causes sufferers to not be able to lose weight as desired.

Though not completely impossible, weight loss seems like an uphill battle for many sufferers of this condition. Why? According to PCOSdietsupport.com, these factors come into play, making weight loss a struggle:

• Insulin production and resistance – PCOS has been shown to cause or increase dysfunctions in the cells that secrete insulin. By overreacting, these cells often produce more insulin than needed. These overreactions cause more glucose in the blood to be stored as fat. Insulin resistance, suffered by some women with PCOS, causes the body to need more insulin than normal to break down and process blood sugar. High levels of insulin also causes your body to store more fat.
• Increased appetite – Unfortunately, the presence of certain hormones that control appetite and hunger are negatively affected by PCOS. Because of this condition, women with PCOS often continue to feel hungry even after consuming regular amounts of calories and nutrients.
• Slow metabolism – Recent studies also show that wome with PCOS usually suffer from a slower metabolism than their counterparts. Because sufferers burn calories and fat at a slower rate than others, they need a reduced number of daily calories. Where it is estimated that the average woman needs about 1800 calories, it is estimated that women with PCOS only need about 1400 calories a day. Paired with the increased hunger and appetite brought on by the condition, the combination is not one that is conducive to easy weight loss.

As Buckhead’s experts in medical weight loss, we recommend that women with PCOS get a full medical evaluation from their personal physician before attempting any weight loss program but are happy to provide health tips for women from all over the area. Safe and healthy weight loss can be complicated and often extends beyond just healthy eating and regular exercise. By working with your personal health issues and past struggles, we can help you lose weight when our plan is in conjunction with your regular health care routine. Of course, in instances where a medical condition exists, we would require a full exam and medical consultation in order to create a sensible plan.