[Weight gain due to hormonal contraception: myth or truth?]

Weight gain is one of the side effects often attributed to the use of hormonal contraception. Concern about weight gain can hinder particularly young women to use a safe contraceptive method or may be a reason for early discontinuation. In the following review, we present studies examining the influence of different contraceptive methods on weight change and discuss the results and methodological problems. During use of hormonal contraceptives, weight fluctuates by about 3 kg over an observation interval from 6 to 24 months. Only in a subgroup of Depo Provera users is the increase in weight higher: the proportion of women gaining >3 kg/year is higher compared with the other hormonal contraceptives. Interestingly users of intrauterine devices experience a weight gain too, which is approximately double that of the average female population. The age-associated weight gain has been described to be 0.1 kg/m(2) annually, corresponding to about 300 g/year.