Health, diet, disease, stress and drugs affect women's menstrual cycles. Biological and cultural forces influence eating patterns and hormonal rhythms. Sudden weight loss due to strict dieting, gastric bypass, excessive exercise or anorexia commonly changes the pattern of menstruation. Weight loss disruptions of the menstrual cycle usually include irregular, shortened or ceased cycling. When the menstrual cycle stops completely, it is called amenorrhea. The treatment of amenorrhea depends on the cause.
Menstrual Cycle
The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long. During the month, the rise and fall of hormones control the menstrual cycle. Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland stimulate the ovaries to make estrogen and progesterone. The ovarian hormones prepare the uterus and breasts for fertilization. The four hormones work together to control the three phases of the menstrual cycle: follicular, ovulatory and luteal. Sometimes, weight loss upsets the natural hormonal pattern, thus disrupting the menstrual cycle.
Diet and the Menstrual Cycle
Poor nutrition, caffeine and excessive alcohol affect the body's health. Changes in body health influence a woman's hormonal balance and menstrual cycle. Poor eating habits lower body fat. If body fat gets too low, the ovaries stop making estrogen. Weight loss programs must sustain a nutritional balance in the body to maintain healthy hormone levels. High caffeine intake can increase the incidence of short menstrual cycles while excessive alcohol interferes with the liver's ability to metabolize estrogen and progesterone. Both should be used in moderation.
Exercise and the Menstrual Cycle
Exercise-induced amenorrhea occurs in five to 25 percent of athletes, depending on the type of sport practiced and level of competition. Exercising excessively and for long periods of time can reduce body fat to less than 15 to 17 percent, the minimal amount for a healthy body. If weight loss accompanies obsessive eating habits, such as low-fat and no-meat diets, the body cannot function properly. Changing eating habits and exercise patterns reverses problems affecting the menstrual cycle in such cases.
Sudden Weight Loss
Sudden weight loss is associated with bariatric surgery, severe anxiety, diseases and certain drugs. Any sudden weight loss is likely to upset the hormonal balance within the body system, thus disrupting the menstrual cycle. Many times a woman's menstrual cycle will cease temporarily with a sudden loss in weight, recovering when the body stabalizes.
Anorexia and anxiety cause sudden weight loss due to decreased food intake, leading to menstrual disruption. These problems need prescribed physiological and psychological treatment. Also, the side effects of certain drugs may cause amenorrhea. Some drugs that cause missed cycles include chemotherapy drugs, birth control pills, phenothiazines and busulfan.
Risks
The discontinuation of menstrual cycles may be harmless, or it may be associated with an overgrown uterine lining. Such overgrowth, or endometrial hyperplasia, sometimes leads to cancer. Also, menstrual disruption or amenorrhea is associated with infertility, causing long-term problems with conception. If low estrogen levels are present, symptoms of fatigue, vaginal dryness and hot flashes may occur. Most menstrual cycle disturbances associated with weight loss can be easily corrected with proper diet and adequate exercise, thus eliminating secondary risks.
References
- "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism"; Health Issues for Women Athletes; Michelle P. Warren; 1999
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Caffeine Consumption and Menstrual Function; Laura Fenster, Chris Quale, Kirsten Waller, Gayle C. Windham, Eric P. Elkin, Neal Benowitz, and Shanna H. Swan; 1999
- MedlinePlus: Secondary Amenorrhea
- Merck Manual: Menstrual Cycle
- "Human Reproduction"; Menstrual Cycle and Appetite Control; L. Dye and J.E. Blundell; 1997
Member Comments