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good question 
hmm - well given menstruation normally commences when body fat reaches a certain % & in cases of starvation/EDs etc. menses often stop.. i suppose you could imagine there might be a general continuous trend between length/heavy-ness of periods & body weight. but pain i would think to be largely unrelated.
however, anecdotally or officially i've never heard anything about there actually being a correlation other than at the very extreme low weight & no menstruation..
will go & do a search!
however, anecdotally or officially i've never heard anything about there actually being a correlation other than at the very extreme low weight & no menstruation..
will go & do a search!
yay - infertility. 
inconvenient as periods may be, i don't think pushing your body to a state where you fail to have them is a good thing.
anyway, have found some literature results that are beyond merely the well characterised extreme low weight issue & may be of interest..
Vegetarianism and menstrual cycle disturbances: is there an association?
Barr SI.
Three general mechanisms that could contribute to menstrual disturbances that may differ between vegetarians and nonvegetarians include energy imbalances associated with body-weight disturbances or exercise, psychosocial and cognitive factors, and dietary components. Evidence for each of these mechanisms is reviewed and studies comparing menstrual function between vegetarians and nonvegetarians are described in this article. Although results from several cross-sectional studies suggest that clinical menstrual disturbances may be more common in vegetarians, a prospective study that controlled for many potential confounders found that subclinical disturbances were less common in weight-stable, healthy vegetarian women.
The right weight: body fat, menarche and ovulation.
Frisch RE.
Women with moderate weight loss (10-15% of ideal weight), as well as women with the severe weight loss of anorexia nervosa (30% of ideal weight), have secondary or primary amenorrhoea. A high proportion of well-trained dancers and athletes also have amenorrhoea, though weight may be in the normal range, since muscles are heavy (80% water, compared to 5-10% water in adipose tissue). The amenorrhoea is usually reversible with weight gain, decreased exercise or both. The amenorrhoea is due to hypothalamic dysfunction; the pituitary-ovary axis is intact, suggesting that this type of amenorrhoea is adaptive, preventing an unsuccessful pregnancy outcome. Evidence is presented that the high percentage of body fat (26-28%) in mature women is necessary for regular ovulatory cycles. Target weights for height are given for the evaluation and treatment of primary and secondary amenorrhoea due to weight loss. The high percentage of body fat in women may influence reproductive ability directly: (1) as an extragonadal source of oestrogen by aromatization of androgen to oestrogen; (2) by influencing the direction of oestrogen metabolism to more potent or less potent forms; or (3) by changes in the binding properties of sex-hormone-binding globulin. Indirect signals may be of abnormal control of temperature and changes in energy metabolism, which accompany excessive leanness.
Correlation between menstruation disorders and insulin resistance
[Article in Spanish]
Gonzalez Centeno A, Nahum Hernandez P, Mendoza R, Ayala AR.
Obesity and reproductive disorders: a review.
Norman RJ, Clark AM.
Obesity has significant consequences for the reproductive system, depending upon the amount and distribution of body fat. Epidemiological evidence clearly shows that being overweight contributes to menstrual disorders, infertility, miscarriage, poor pregnancy outcome, impaired fetal well-being and diabetes mellitus. Central adiposity is particularly important in clinical sequelae associated with an increased body mass index. The advent of assisted reproduction highlights the problems of being overweight, and the use of gonadotrophins in ovulation induction and in vitro fertilization is more difficult when the subject is overweight. Weight loss has marked effects on improving the menstrual cycle and promoting spontaneous ovulation and fertility. Results indicate that fertility is improved through exercise and sensible eating patterns when conducted in a group environment. The mechanisms for this are unclear but may be associated with changes in sensitivity to insulin.
inconvenient as periods may be, i don't think pushing your body to a state where you fail to have them is a good thing.
anyway, have found some literature results that are beyond merely the well characterised extreme low weight issue & may be of interest..
Vegetarianism and menstrual cycle disturbances: is there an association?
Barr SI.
Three general mechanisms that could contribute to menstrual disturbances that may differ between vegetarians and nonvegetarians include energy imbalances associated with body-weight disturbances or exercise, psychosocial and cognitive factors, and dietary components. Evidence for each of these mechanisms is reviewed and studies comparing menstrual function between vegetarians and nonvegetarians are described in this article. Although results from several cross-sectional studies suggest that clinical menstrual disturbances may be more common in vegetarians, a prospective study that controlled for many potential confounders found that subclinical disturbances were less common in weight-stable, healthy vegetarian women.
The right weight: body fat, menarche and ovulation.
Frisch RE.
Women with moderate weight loss (10-15% of ideal weight), as well as women with the severe weight loss of anorexia nervosa (30% of ideal weight), have secondary or primary amenorrhoea. A high proportion of well-trained dancers and athletes also have amenorrhoea, though weight may be in the normal range, since muscles are heavy (80% water, compared to 5-10% water in adipose tissue). The amenorrhoea is usually reversible with weight gain, decreased exercise or both. The amenorrhoea is due to hypothalamic dysfunction; the pituitary-ovary axis is intact, suggesting that this type of amenorrhoea is adaptive, preventing an unsuccessful pregnancy outcome. Evidence is presented that the high percentage of body fat (26-28%) in mature women is necessary for regular ovulatory cycles. Target weights for height are given for the evaluation and treatment of primary and secondary amenorrhoea due to weight loss. The high percentage of body fat in women may influence reproductive ability directly: (1) as an extragonadal source of oestrogen by aromatization of androgen to oestrogen; (2) by influencing the direction of oestrogen metabolism to more potent or less potent forms; or (3) by changes in the binding properties of sex-hormone-binding globulin. Indirect signals may be of abnormal control of temperature and changes in energy metabolism, which accompany excessive leanness.
Correlation between menstruation disorders and insulin resistance
[Article in Spanish]
Gonzalez Centeno A, Nahum Hernandez P, Mendoza R, Ayala AR.
Obesity and reproductive disorders: a review.
Norman RJ, Clark AM.
Obesity has significant consequences for the reproductive system, depending upon the amount and distribution of body fat. Epidemiological evidence clearly shows that being overweight contributes to menstrual disorders, infertility, miscarriage, poor pregnancy outcome, impaired fetal well-being and diabetes mellitus. Central adiposity is particularly important in clinical sequelae associated with an increased body mass index. The advent of assisted reproduction highlights the problems of being overweight, and the use of gonadotrophins in ovulation induction and in vitro fertilization is more difficult when the subject is overweight. Weight loss has marked effects on improving the menstrual cycle and promoting spontaneous ovulation and fertility. Results indicate that fertility is improved through exercise and sensible eating patterns when conducted in a group environment. The mechanisms for this are unclear but may be associated with changes in sensitivity to insulin.
A person who has lost significant weight excessively in a short period of time can lead to very irregular periods, ie. once very 2 weeks / very little for a prolonged period etc., which is also linked to the hormonal cycles being less normal when the body's weight changes very suddenly. People who are underweight / suffering from malnutrition are less likely / might not have period at all, because the body is already deprived of nutrients and cannot afford to lose more through menstruation.
A person who is healthy is more likely to have more regular periods and more blood loss than a person who is suffering from malnutrition, which in this case the healthy person might be heavier than the latter one if they are of similar weight and height etc.
A person who is healthy is more likely to have more regular periods and more blood loss than a person who is suffering from malnutrition, which in this case the healthy person might be heavier than the latter one if they are of similar weight and height etc.
If a girl is underweight, then she won't have her periods/they will be irregular. I'm 7 stone and mine crop up whever they feel like it, normally about once every three months. If I was heavier they'd be regular, but I find it hard to put on weight.
I don't think there is a link between the type of period and weight, though. Things like length of time and period pain are individual, and are affected (I think) by hormonal rather than weight changes. I'm very slim, but my periods have always been fairly heavy and accompanied by cramps, though they've not been regular. I've always been under the impression, like No Future said, that period type is more genetic than anything else - unless you're severely underweight, in which case they're very light/non-existant, because your body couldn't cope with a child.
I don't think there is a link between the type of period and weight, though. Things like length of time and period pain are individual, and are affected (I think) by hormonal rather than weight changes. I'm very slim, but my periods have always been fairly heavy and accompanied by cramps, though they've not been regular. I've always been under the impression, like No Future said, that period type is more genetic than anything else - unless you're severely underweight, in which case they're very light/non-existant, because your body couldn't cope with a child.
lessthanthree
Naturally, I would actually have expected smaller girls to have tiny periods, and fat girls to have massive ones.
Being a medium to small girl, and having suffered really heavy, painful ones, this sort of put my theory out of the window.
Being a medium to small girl, and having suffered really heavy, painful ones, this sort of put my theory out of the window.
Yeah same here.
Also my friend is a vegetarian and before she was on the pill suffered very irregular periods.
lessthanthree
Naturally, I would actually have expected smaller girls to have tiny periods, and fat girls to have massive ones.
Being a medium to small girl, and having suffered really heavy, painful ones, this sort of put my theory out of the window.
Being a medium to small girl, and having suffered really heavy, painful ones, this sort of put my theory out of the window.
:dito:
One of my friends is extremely largely built and has "average" periods. I'm 5'3, 8-8 1/2 stone and have abnormally heavy and irregular periods
I guess as with most things, you can't make total generalisations. You can probably work out that blahblah makes bahblah more likely, but there are going to be plenty of exceptions
Umm.... well I know that if you exercise over a period of time then you may lose weight 
*exits thread quickly*
*exits thread quickly*
grace
i don't get periods...[evil laugh] mwah ah ah [evil laugh/]. Just thought i'd share, and instill envy in the heart of every girl reading this
how come?!
bein male i dont really know but i heard that women can gain up to 7lbs of weight in water during a period!!
but not sure of reliability
but not sure of reliability
Lidia
If a girl is underweight, then she won't have her periods/they will be irregular. I'm 7 stone and mine crop up whever they feel like it, normally about once every three months. If I was heavier they'd be regular, but I find it hard to put on weight.
im 110 pounds and im 5'8ish and mine come whenever they feel like it and when it does come it sometimes only lasts 3 days with the first day being heavy and the rest of the days not showing really anything
Rebecca/Becca
Basicallly, I was just wondering if there is a connection between how much a woman weighs (naturally that is) and how heavy/how long/how painful her periods are?
im not 100% sure about this, but i think i saw a documentry saying you dont have periods until your body has enough fat to grow a baby.whether its puberty or not eating enough, if body fat levels are too low, wont have any.
i think it is true because i went on a crash diet by accident (too much stress so not eating) and they stopped.
also i thihnk i read,if you eat alot of junk food/caffeine/drink alot of alcohol, this can make them more painful.
not sure if this helps
the period thread in the stickys might help if you wanna know more about period pains.
whereas for weight / period length or amount relationship...i'll keep trying to figure that out.
whereas for weight / period length or amount relationship...i'll keep trying to figure that out.
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