What An OB/GYN Wants You To Know About Birth Control & Emotional Eating

Researchers and physicians have known that reproductive hormones can influence appetite, cravings1, and eating behaviors. Now, new research suggests that the hormones in some birth control pills may also play a role in emotional eating patterns.

Researchers of a study, published in JAMA Network Open2, followed 422 women who were already taking combined oral contraceptives (a common type of birth control pill containing both estrogen and progestin). They tracked participants’ daily pill use and eating behaviors over 49 days, comparing each woman’s experiences during active hormone pills versus hormone-free placebo pills.

Results showed that higher levels of emotional eating during the weeks they took active hormone pills compared to placebo weeks.

“Emotional eating, a marker for binge eating, went up during the active weeks, and it wasn't explained by mood,” says board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist Natalie Crawford, M.D.

The findings build on previous research showing that natural shifts in ovarian hormones throughout the menstrual cycle can affect eating behaviors.

During the luteal phase (the time after ovulation and before a period) both estrogen and progesterone rise. Previous studies have linked this hormonal environment with increased cravings, food intake, and emotional eating.

“[The findings] track with what we already know about menstrual cycle phases, where these urges tend to peak in the luteal phase when estrogen and progesterone are both high,” says Crawford. “Because active pills contain a progestin (a type of synthetic progesterone), the thought is that women experience a luteal-phase-like hormonal state during those weeks.” 

Researchers think these hormones may influence brain pathways involved in reward, cravings, and appetite—but more research is needed to understand exactly why some women may be more sensitive to these changes.

While the findings are interesting, they don’t mean that birth control pills cause binge eating.

This study did not compare women taking birth control pills with women who were not taking hormonal contraception. Instead, researchers compared each woman’s eating patterns during active pill weeks versus placebo weeks.

“The placebo pills are hormone-free, but in your natural cycle you do make hormones,” Crawford says. “To really know if the pill is increasing emotional eating over no contraception, a study comparing the two groups will need to be done.”

Crawford emphasizes that for many women, combined oral contraceptives remain a safe and effective birth control option. But understanding how hormones affect your individual experience can be an important part of personalized health care.

“If you have a history of an eating disorder or you start to notice a change in your relationship with food, bring this study up to your doctor to discuss the best options for you,” Crawford says.

Ultimately, birth control decisions are highly personal. If you notice changes in appetite, cravings, mood, or eating behaviors after starting or changing contraception, it’s worth having a conversation with your health care provider about what option best supports your overall health.