Habitual dietary intake, eating pattern and physical activity of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Background/Objective: Diet and lifestyle modifications may be of benefit in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but there is a paucity of data on these behaviours in women with PCOS. This study aims to address this through a comprehensive investigation of the habitual diet and activity patterns of UK women with PCOS and their alignment with dietary recommendations for health. Subjects/Methods: A 7-day-estimated food and activity diary and questionnaire was completed by 210 women with PCOS for calculation of activity levels, energy and nutrient intakes and dietary glycaemic index (GI). Results: Mean (s.d.) body mass index (BMI) was 27.4 (7.3) kg/m 2 (n ¼ 183), with 53% of women with PCOS having a BMI425 kg/m 2 . Of the overweight women, approximately half were not achieving sufficient physical activity to promote weight loss. More frequent eating episodes and a lower BMI were weakly associated (r ¼ À0.158, P ¼ 0.034). Mean percentage energy from fat was 38 (7)% (12% energy from saturated fat), with 68% of women with PCOS consuming 4 35% energy from fat. Mean dietary GI was higher in obese women with PCOS, compared with healthy weight women with PCOS (55.7 (3.4) and 53.8 (4.0), respectively; P ¼ 0.043). Conclusion: Many women with PCOS are not achieving dietary intakes and levels of physical activity that optimise symptom management and disease prevention. Advice should focus on fat quality and quantity and carbohydrate modification. There is a need for further robust research into the role of dietary GI in the PCOS population.

Dietary intake and lifestyle behaviour in different phenotypes of polycystic ovarian syndrome: a case–control study

“…However, data accuracy may be limited as a result of the ability of the responders to remember their intake. Moreover, women with PCOS reported higher carbohydrate (229 versus 61 g), protein (78 versus 66.3 g), fat (85 versus 61.1 g), saturated fat (26 versus 22.5 g) intake compared to the reference population . A high energy diet has been reported in Iranian and Brazilian women with PCOS.…”

Polycystic ovaries and obesity

“…Exercise-only methods seem to be insufficient and a combination with dietary modifications, caloric restrictions and behavioural interventions is required. Attention should be paid to fat quality and quantity and to carbohydrate modification, although further research is needed to assess the role of dietary glycaemic index in PCOS [78]. According to a recent meta-analysis, lifestyle intervention improved biochemical and endocrinological parameters including body composition, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism, although it had no effect on glucose tolerance and lipid profile [79].…”

“…It has been estimated that approximately half of the overweight women with PCOS are not achieving sufficient physical activity to promote weight loss [78]. There are various methods that can be used to treat obesity in PCOS patients.…”

Dietary intake, resting energy expenditure, and eating behavior in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome

“…However, no previous study have investigated whether meal patterns of women with PCOS differ from those of healthy women. The one study that reported habitual meal patterns in women with PCOS did not include healthy women [14], thus the importance of the frequency of food intake in women with PCOS has yet not been determined. Eating attitudes might also be affected in women with PCOS, and it has been suggested that high androgen levels and polycystic ovaries might advance bulimic behavior by influencing food cravings and impulse control [15].…”