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Mercy ob/gyn Dr. Meghan Lynch

Mercy OB/GYN Dr. Meghan Lynch Discusses Connection Between Urinary Incontinence And High Calories/Saturated Fats

A new study reveals that what and how much women eat can put them at a greater risk for urinary incontinence, a condition that's often embarrassing and can interfere with a woman's lifestyle.

The recent study found in an online publication from the American Journal of Epidemiology said that eating extra calories and saturated fats from donuts, chips and other snacks can increase the risk of urinary incontinence whether a woman is overweight or not.

"In this study, they compared the dietary intake for those two groups, and there is something we don't understand about the saturated fat intake that's affecting incontinence," said Mercy Medical Center OB/GYN Dr. Meghan Lynch.

According to Dr. Lynch, even though it's not clear how fat increases a woman's risk, the best defense against urinary incontinence is still weight control and diet.

"The bottom line is watching your total caloric intake and losing weight," Dr. Lynch said.

Aside from weight loss, there are other things you can do to prevent or treat urinary incontinence, including doing Kegel exercises, controlling asthma or chronic coughing and keeping cardiac disease under control.

"The recommendation is 7 percent or less of your total calories should be from saturated fat," Dr. Lynch added.

Mercy Medical Center dietitian Kelly O'Connor noted that besides what you eat, you should also look out for the fat and calories in what you drink.

"Any sort of coffee drink, the ones with the whipped cream and the ice cream, contain a lot of saturated fat -- you know, 500, 700, 800 calories -- so to be mindful of that, try to stick to the healthier, low fat milk if you're going to get a coffee drink. Water, of course, is the best option," she said.

Dr. Lynch also observed that even though women are more prone to urinary incontinence as they get older, it is not a normal part of aging and can be prevented.