When we think of obesity, the clutch of health conditions that spring to mind are usually coronary artery disease or CAD, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and perhaps even cancer. However, women with obesity are also much more likely to develop problems, like PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is the most common hormonal abnormality in reproductive-age women. There is a definitive connect between obesity and PCOS based on epidemiological data, which has now been corroborated through genetic research.

Obesity is quite common in women with PCOS – between 40–80% of women living with this condition are found to be overweight or obese. It is, however, not clearly established if PCOS increases your risk for obesity, or is it the other way around. Nonetheless, it’s proven that women with PCOS who are obese have difficulty losing weight, adding to risk factors for other serious conditions. This could be because they produce excess insulin, or because the insulin produced does not function in the way it ought to. What can safely be surmised is that women who are obese are at a higher risk for PCOS and those with PCOS are at a higher risk for obesity.

PCOS symptoms: Symptoms may vary from person to person. But, a PCOS diagnosis is typically confirmed if two of these symptoms are present: excess androgen, polycystic ovaries and menstrual irregularity.

Treating PCOS – Change your lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle helps. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you lose weight and improve the body’s use of insulin. Several symptoms of PCOS could get better if you exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Even a modest weight loss of 5 to 7% in six months can lower your insulin and androgen levels. This can restore ovulation and fertility in more than 75% of women with PCOS. Then there are these protocols to follow:

# Quit smoking: Before anything else, you should kick smoking. It could help bring down the excessively high androgen levels.

# Contraceptive pills: Androgen-lowering therapies and birth-control pills can often alleviate PCOS symptoms, like problems with the menstrual cycle, male-pattern baldness, acne and abnormal hair growth.

# Fertility treatment: For women trying to conceive, fertility drugs can also help start ovulation.

# Anti-diabetic medication: Some women with PCOS might be prescribed metformin – the anti-diabetic drug to manage insulin resistance.

Risks associated with PCOS-related weight gain

Irrespective of the trigger, weight gain or obesity can harm your health. Women with this condition are more likely to develop many of the problems associated with weight gain and insulin resistance, such as:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Sleep apnea
• Infertility
• Endometrial cancer

Many of these conditions can lead to heart disease as well. Yes, PCOS does challenge the quality of life of those affected. But with proper treatment, it can be managed and symptoms alleviated. Obesity and PCOS both, individually, can increase risk of infertility in women. Combined, they can become a major cause. When lifestyle changes do not help in normal conception, infertility treatment may be required. IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is usually the most recommended treatment in such instances and has shown to yield good results.