A new study in JAMA Network Open followed 422 women who were already taking monophasic combined oral contraceptives and asked them to record their eating each day for 49 consecutive days. The researchers used a within-person design, so each woman served as her own comparison.
Days with active pills (which contain synthetic hormones) were compared with days with inactive pills (which contain no hormones). In a typical pack, women take about three weeks of active pills followed by about one week of inactive pills. Participants ranged from late adolescence to young adulthood.
The team measured emotional eating, defined as overeating in response to negative emotions. Emotional eating was significantly higher on active pill days than on inactive days. This pattern appeared across two full pill cycles, in the full sample and in a subset of women with diagnosed binge eating. The difference remained after the researchers accounted for negative mood, so mood did not fully explain the change.
The authors note that the analysis focused on average changes across the group and that individual responses varied. The research was led by Kelly Klump at Michigan State University, with Shaunna Clark of Texas A&M University as a coauthor. The study shows an association but does not prove that pills cause binge eating. Other outcomes, like weight preoccupation, did not change, and mood effects were smaller and less consistent.
Difficult words
- monophasic — having the same hormone dose every active day
- combined oral contraceptive — a pill that prevents pregnancy using two hormonescombined oral contraceptives
- within-person design — study method comparing each participant with themselves
- emotional eating — eating more food in response to bad feelings
- binge eating — eating very large amounts in a short time
- association — a link or connection between two things
- account — to include or control for a factoraccounted
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could this information affect a woman’s discussion with her doctor about birth control?
- Why is it important that individual responses varied even though the group showed average changes?
- What additional evidence would you want to see to determine whether pills actually cause binge eating?
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