Weight Inclusive Guide to PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive health condition in the UK (and the world), affecting 1 in 10 people with ovaries. Unfortunately for people with PCOS, it can be super tricky to navigate, as there’s not a whole lot of conclusive guidance available out there, and our healthcare pros are often given the short end of the stick when it comes to training around PCOS. ⁣

We’ve found through our research and practice working with people with PCOS that a lot of the guidance can be pretty stigmatising towards marginalised bodies, and the advice given tends to be quite vague and inaccessible. Combined with gendered-language and weight-stigmatising recommendations, it can feel overwhelming trying to find reputable advice that is actually meaningful. This has been a major barrier for a lot of our clients, so we’re hoping to change that. ⁣⁣

This guide takes a deep dive into the contributing risk factors and management of PCOS in a way that (FINALLY!!) makes sense! We’ve included a no-nonsense guide to the hormones and endocrine pathways involved in the condition, and looked at how what we can do can influence them, in a way that empowers you to look after your health. 

Alongside the advice around gentle nutrition, we’ve also unpacked the impacts of sleep, rest, and stress on PCOS, to help you understand the condition through a more holistic and inclusive lens. We’ve dug deep into the literature to bring you the latest recommendations around supplements, movement and other alternative therapies, giving a broad range of suggestions so everyone can find what works best for them. ⁣

Finally, we've done our best to make this guide accessible, gender neutral, weight inclusive, and non-judgemental. Everything we provide is a suggestion for you to pick-and-mix the approach that suits you, your body, and your circumstances, whatever that looks like for you right now. 

A note on pricing:

AT LCIE we believe that everyone should have access to body-affirming health care. We are therefore offering this resource on a sliding-scale, pay what you can. We are asking you pay what you think this resource is worth and what value you think it will add to your life. Below we are offering suggested pricing, depending on your circumstances.

£20 - those with privilege or who can afford to pay 'full-price'

£15 - student and those with privilege but who find themselves in difficult circumstances currently

£10 - marginalised or disadvantaged groups 

If this is still not accessible to you but you'd really benefit from this resource, please get in touch via hello@laurathomasphd.co.uk

A note on sharing:
We ask you to be respectful of the time, energy, effort and brainpower that went into making this resource. Please do not share or copy any part of this resource without our express permission; it devalues our work and more importantly, it prevents us from offering sliding scale resources in the future. Do the right thing, be a good citizen. 

** Please note ** - if you are a clinician or health care practitioner, we have made this resource available for individuals living with PCOS as low-cost as we can in effort to make health information more equitable. Part of the reason we can do this is via support from those with professional and educational privileges. As such, we ask you to sign up to our full training for this resource at https://londoncentreforintuitiveeating.co.uk/a-weight-inclusive-guide-to - access to this training also gives you the right to distribute this detailed resource to your clients. you'll also receive an in-depth 1 hour CPD training covering aetiology, pathophysiology, current guidelines (and critique thereof), plus an evidence-based review of recommendations, plus an accompanying guide for clinicians. There will also be an opportunity to ask the LCIE team questions in a live Q+A. We ask you to please be respectful of the work that has been involved in the creation of this resource and help us keep it low-cost for those who are in the most need. N.B. distribution of this resource for commercial reasons violates the terms of copyright.