Obese women who took PRIDE in their weight loss had drier panties, according to a study reported in the January 29, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
PRIDE actually stands for the Program to Reduce Incontinence by Diet and Exercise, and is a study sponsored by the National Institute of Health.
The study recruited 338 obese women who leaked urine at least 10 times per week. Half of the women participated in an intensive six-month weight loss program that included diet and behavior modification, along with exercise. The other half of the group were given information about weight loss but received no coaching.
The women who received active coaching lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight, or about 17 pounds. As a result, they leaked only about half as much, reducing leakage incidents by 47 percent.
The group of women who received only weight loss information did not fare as well. These women lost an average of only 1.8 percent of their body weight, about 3 pounds, and reduced their rate of leakage by 28 percent.
The good news is that even though the women in the second group did not lose as much weight, even the small amount of lost weight contributed to fewer incidences of leakage. Losing just 3 pounds meant these women leaked one-fourth fewer times.
The study goes on to report that the women in the weight-loss group were significantly more satisfied with the improvement in their incontinence than the women in the other group.
A little weight loss goes a long way. Are you ready to deal with your UI symptoms? If you are overweight, shedding a few pounds may be a very effective first-line treatment for your UI. Every pound you lose is one pound less of pressure pushing down on your bladder and pelvic floor. Less pressure equals less leakage.
Is it time for you to take PRIDE in weight loss and have drier panties?