Untangling the Link between Eating Disorders and PCOS

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2024

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to five million people in the U.S., yet it remains poorly understood. Many people with PCOS go undiagnosed while experiencing symptoms such as irregular periods, changes in hair and body shape, acne and infertility. Even after a diagnosis, they’re often told to lose weight to manage symptoms—advice that some researchers now say can be harmful. A recent study found that people with PCOS are more likely to have eating disorders, regardless of their body mass index. Laura Cooney, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, co-authored the study. She joins host Rachel Feltman to discuss why the focus on weight loss for PCOS treatment needs to be reconsidered. This episode is part of “Health Equity Heroes,” an editorially independent special project that was produced with financial support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals. E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:27.8	slash UK slash AI for people. Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, for short, affects as many as 5 million people in the U.S.
0:40.3	alone.
0:41.3	But in spite of how common PCOS is, it's also quite poorly understood.
0:45.3	Many people with the condition remain undiagnosed as they grapple with irregular periods,
0:50.3	changes in their hair growth and body composition, acne, and even infertility.
0:55.0	If and when they do manage to get a diagnosis, they're often told to focus on lifestyle changes like weight loss to mitigate symptoms.
1:02.0	Now some researchers are pushing back against this generalized advice, which they say isn't just unhelpful, but sometimes actively harmful.
1:11.3	In a recent meta-analysis, researchers show that people with PCOS have a higher prevalence
1:16.0	of eating disorders than their peers, regardless of their body mass index or BMI, a common
1:21.7	though flawed measurement based on a person's height and weight.
1:25.1	For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman. I'm joined
1:28.3	today by Laura Cooney, a co-author of the recent study. She's an associate professor in the
1:32.8	Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Wisconsin School of
1:37.0	Medicine and Public Health. Laura, thank you so much for joining us today.
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