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Claim
On 29 September 2024, an X user (formerly Twitter) with the username neo_official posted that 9 out of 10 women who have gained weight within the space of 2-4 years have had an abortion(s).
The full text reads: “If you see any girl jump from being so slim to getting so fat in a space of 2 to 4 years, 9 times out of 10, she had an abortion(s)”.
As of the time of filing this report, this post had gathered 18,200 likes, 3,460 quotes, 2,777 reposts, and 5,163 bookmarks.
This claim was a response to a tweet made by another X user, chocolategur360, who posted two pictures indicating the weight gain she had in four years ( from 2020 and 2024).
ROUNDCHECK gender desk subjected these claims to various research, interviews and findings. There were very tiny or no connections between abortion and massive weight gain, as claimed.
ROUNDCHECK Findings
Research papers and experts have proven over time that there is no direct link between abortion and weight gain, according to what we found out in the process of fact-checking this claim.
According to a research paper published on National Library of Medicine titled ‘Why young women gain weight: A narrative review of influencing factors and possible solutions by Mary Pegington et al, various factors may influence weight gain in a woman’s body after an abortion procedure.
Those factors mentioned include hormones, lifestyle changes, and emotional stress that can, in turn, cause stress in eating and underlying health conditions.
This research paper also posited that significant weight gain occurs in women between 18 and 35 years of age.
According to Lauren Sharkey, who specialises in women’s issues, she wrote in her article on Weight Loss and Other Body Changes After Abortion, that temporary changes to a woman’s body after an abortion procedure are natural, however, some people do not experience them.
Factors like metabolism and hormone levels cause a particular side effect and influence the body. Sharkey pointed out that weight loss is an anticipated result after abortion, as it is customary to gain some weight with pregnancy
The article also highlighted that weight gain after abortion should not occur due to psychological response from the body, however, it does not mean it is impossible.
Hence, the emotional effects of abortion and hormonal fluctuations that come with pregnancy can make the woman feel hungry, and the feeling may not disappear after abortion, thereby leading to more food consumption. This food consumption can increase body weight.
What Experts Said About Abortion and Weight Gain
ROUNDCHECK went further to speak to experts to confirm the authenticity of the claim linking abortion to massive body weight gain.
Dr. Olanrewaju Olabisi, a Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Duchess International Hospital, University of Ibadan, who spoke to ROUNDCHECK, noted that different hormones come into play when a woman becomes pregnant, causing different reactions, including weight gain.
“ After pregnancy the cause of these body changes has been removed, the body will return to the way it was”, she shared in the interview, while pointing out that a woman’s body can go back in shape after pregnancy
She also expressed her displeasure towards such a claim that abortion results in massive weight gain, adding that such information coming from someone who was not a medical practitioner should be ignored.
Ann Udo-Umo, a dietitian, noted that extreme consumption of ultra-processed foods and the possibility of fibroids, including hormones, can influence weight gain in women.
She didn’t mention abortion as a cause of weight gain.
Experts believe that abortion cannot directly be the cause of weight gain.
Verdict
The X post claiming that abortion can cause massive weight gain in women is not scientifically proven. Therefore, it is UNCONFIRMED.
