Healthy Lifestyle & Incontinence

Although surgical methods are an option to reduce incontinence in dangerously obese women (urinary sling and gastric bypass surgery respectively)7, evidence has shown that one of the most sensible and effective ways to manage stress incontinence in overweight and obese women lies in adopting a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet8.

This was demonstrated in a 2005 US study, which found that overweight and obese women with more than 4 incidents of incontinence per week were reduced by an average of 60%
following a 3-month weight reduction program where 5-10% of weight loss was achieved9.

Exercise need not be strenuous to remove excess weight. The Heart Foundation and other leading authorities recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on all or most days of the week such as walking10. Other effective low impact exercises include yoga, pilates and low impact aerobics.
These exercises will not aggravate stress incontinence, making them a suitable, easy and effective recommendation for overweight incontinent women. This type of exercise combined with a sensible diet of unprocessed, low kilojoule foods and increased water and fibre intake, will enable patients to control their weight and their stress incontinence.

Therefore, it is beneficial that overweight and obese women with urinary incontinence understand the benefits of a weight loss program, not only to help reduce incidents of stress urinary incontinence, but to also improve their overall health and reduce their risk of developing other conditions11.

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7 Noblett KL et al. The relationship of body mass index to intra – abdominal pressure as measured by multichannel
cystometry, International Urogynecol Journal Pelvic Floor Dysfunt 1997; 8 :323- 326. 8 Yamada, B. Govier, F. Does Weight Loss Improve Urinary Incontinence in overweight and obese women? Nature Clinical Practice Urology 2006; 3: 16-17. Brown, J et al. Lifestyle Intervention Is Associated With Lower Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence, The Diabetes Prevention Program Diabetes Care 2006; 29:385-390. 9 Subak LL et al. Weight loss: a novel and effective treatment for urinary incontinence, Journal of Urology 2005; 174: 190 – 195. 10 Yamada, B. Govier, F. 2006 Ibid 11 The Heart Foundation Website. Viewed 26 February 2007. www.heartfoundation.com.au

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