WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Active combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills are associated with an increased risk for emotional eating (EE), according to a study published online June 17 in JAMA Network Open.
Kelly L. Klump, Ph.D., from Michigan State University in East Lansing, and colleagues examined the associations of COCs with binge eating (BE) in a population-based longitudinal survey study. Daily reports of COC active versus inactive pill use and BE were collected across 49 consecutive days. Within-person changes in EE, as a continuous measure of BE, were examined when women were using active versus inactive pills. Changes were examined across two pill packs for replication. In addition, weight preoccupation was assessed as a control outcome.
The full sample included 422 women. The researchers found significant within-person increases in EE in association with use of active versus inactive pills in both cycles (β = 0.11 and 0.07 in cycles 1 and 2, respectively). Changes in negative affect did not mediate increases; increases were seen in a subsample of 51 women with clinically defined BE episodes (β = 0.13 and 0.12 in cycles 1 and 2, respectively). Across pill type, there were no significant changes in weight preoccupation; more modest COC outcomes were seen in post-hoc analyses of negative affect as the outcome.
"Future studies are needed to explore mechanisms, examine other hormonal contraceptives, and identify for whom COCs may increase risk of EE. Translational work that incorporates self-monitoring into COC psychoeducation and interventions is also needed to advance patient care and decrease EE risk," the authors write.
