Two studies have highlighted the importance of diet and exercise for overweight and obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). "Obesity doesn't cause PCOS, but obesity can worsen the symptoms of PCOS," says Anuja Dokras, MD, PhD, a reproductive endocrinologist with Penn Fertility Care, and director of the Penn Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Center. In the United States, approximately 70 percent of patients with PCOS are overweight or obese, according to Dr. Dokras.
In the first study, published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Danish researchers found that women with PCOS may do better on a high protein diet with 40 percent of energy from protein, 30 percent from fat and the remainder from carbohydrates. Replacing carbohydrates with protein appeared to increase weight loss and improve glucose metabolism without restricting calorie intake.
Another study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found that diet and exercise — alone and in combination — improved BMI, menstrual pattern and ovulation in 57 overweight and obese women with PCOS. Swedish researchers used calorie restriction diets and found that dietary management supervised by a dietitian reduced BMI by 6 percent; exercise supervised by a physical therapist reduced BMI by 3 percent; and both diet and exercise reduced BMI by 5 percent.
