It’s a problem that most women don’t want to talk about. The surprising facts is that stress urinary incontinence affects a third of women over the age of fifty. Women who suffer from this condition experience leakage of urine when they cough, sneeze, laugh, or otherwise forcefully contract their abdominal muscles. Naturally, this can be a source of embarrassment if it occurs in public – which is why some women choose to wear special pads.

One of the most common causes of stress urinary incontinence is obesity. Although obesity is known to increase the risk of developing stress urinary incontinence and leakage of urine, up until now it hasn’t been clear whether weight loss actually helps the problem. The good news – a study shows that it does.

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the effects of dieting and weight loss on the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence. After placing 338 obese women on a low calorie, low fat diet; the women experienced an average weight loss of eight percent of their total body weight – compared to the non-dieting control group who lost only 1.6 percent of their body weight. The group who lost the larger amount of weight also reported a 47% reduction in stress incontinence symptoms when compared to the control group. It appears that weight loss does have a substantial impact on the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence.

What causes stress urinary incontinence and leakage of urine to occur in the first place? The urethra, the pipeline through which urine flows, is supported by the floor of the pelvis. When the pelvis weakens due to factors such as childbirth, leakage of urine can occur with coughing, sneezing, sit-ups and any other maneuver that increases intra-abdominal pressure. The drop in estrogen level that happens around the time of menopause also contributes to leakage of urine. Obesity is another important cause of stress urinary incontinence since additional body fat places added pressure on the pelvic floor.

If you’re significantly overweight or obese and experience leakage of urine, weight loss may improve the symptoms. Other drug-free ways to treat symptoms of stress urinary incontinence are pelvic floor strengthening exercises – also known as Kegel exercises and eliminating caffeine and alcohol. If these natural therapies fail to work, there are medications that can reduce leakage of urine. In rare, cases, surgery may be needed to relieve the problem.

The bottom line? It’s important to see a doctor if you have any type of leakage of urine as conditions other than stress urinary incontinence can also cause this problem. If you’re diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence, weight loss and Kegel exercises are natural ways to treat this problem without medications.