PCOD- Why me?
Almost every week, a woman sits across from me and asks the same question.
“Why me?”
She’s been told she has PCOD. Maybe she’s struggling with weight that won’t budge no matter what she does. Maybe her periods come when they feel like it. Maybe she’s losing hair from her crown and getting it where she doesn’t want it. And on top of all of that – nobody has patiently explained what’s actually happening inside her body.
So let’s do that today.
PCOD is not a modern invention
Here’s something that might surprise you – PCOD is an ancient condition. Women as far back as the 18th century experienced the same symptoms. They just didn’t have a name for it. It was called pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, a mystery.
In the early 20th century doctors believed it was caused by infection or congestion disrupting blood supply to the ovaries. It wasn’t until 1935 that Irving Stein and Michael Leventhal first described it properly – as a symptom complex associated with anovulation, meaning the ovaries weren’t releasing eggs normally.
And just recently – on May 12, 2026 – PCOD was officially renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. A name that finally reflects what it actually is. Not just an ovarian problem. A whole body metabolic condition.
So why are more women getting it now?
Our society has shifted from agricultural to industrial to now an AI and technology driven economy. Compared to even a generation ago, our jobs involve far less movement and far more stress. We sit more, sleep less, eat faster and carry anxiety as a baseline.
All of this contributes significantly to the rise of PCOD. Your body was designed to move. When it doesn’t – and when it’s chronically stressed – your hormones feel it first.
How do you know if you have PCOD?
Doctors use something called the Rotterdam Criteria. If you have 2 out of these 3 features, you likely have PCOD:
• Irregular periods
• Signs of high androgens – acne, facial hair, hair loss from the crown area
• A sonography showing a necklace-like appearance of small cysts on the ovaries
You don’t need all three. Two is enough for a diagnosis.
What’s actually happening inside your body?
At the root of most PCOD is something called insulin resistance. Your body produces insulin normally but your cells don’t respond to it properly. So your pancreas works harder, producing more insulin than it should.
This excess insulin – combined with an imbalance of LH and FSH hormones – creates an androgen-rich environment in the ovaries. The eggs don’t mature and release properly. Instead they remain dormant, lined up like a string of pearls on the ultrasound. That’s the necklace appearance your doctor mentions.
And here’s something many women don’t know – you don’t have to be overweight to have PCOD. There’s something called lean PCOD, where insulin resistance exists in someone who appears slim. The fat that matters isn’t always visible. Visceral fat – the fat surrounding your internal organs like the liver, spleen and kidneys – is the more dangerous kind, and it doesn’t always show on the outside.
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Why me though – really?
It’s not a punishment. It’s not because you did something wrong. PCOD starts with a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environment. Some women are simply more predisposed. And the world we live in – stressful, sedentary, overstimulating – makes it worse.
What happens if it’s left unmanaged?
Long term, unmanaged PCOD can lead to:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome and weight gain
• Increased cardiovascular risk
• Endometrial hyperplasia – a thickening of the uterine lining that needs monitoring
This isn’t to scare you. It’s to show you why managing it early matters.
PCOD and your mind
This part doesn’t get talked about enough.
Women with PCOD carry a significant emotional burden. Weight gain, acne, hair loss – these affect how you see yourself. The anxiety of a delayed period every month. The quiet grief of difficulty conceiving. The low mood that creeps in when your hormones are dysregulated.
All of this is real. All of this is valid. And all of this is part of the condition – not a weakness.
What can actually help?
The good news – and there is good news – is that PCOD responds remarkably well to lifestyle changes.
Nutrition: Small, frequent meals keep your blood glucose stable and prevent the insulin spikes that worsen PCOD. Swap simple carbohydrates for complex ones – oats, nuts, seeds, whole wheat bread, sweet potato, brown rice. Increase your protein. It makes a real difference.
Movement: Regular exercise – even walking – improves insulin sensitivity significantly. Yoga, particularly specific asanas that help regulate the waist to hip ratio, has shown real benefit. This isn’t just wellness advice. There’s science behind it.
Mindfulness: Stress directly worsens PCOD by elevating cortisol, which in turn affects insulin and androgens. MRI studies have shown that even 8 weeks of mindfulness practice reduces grey matter density in the amygdala – the part of the brain responsible for anxiety and stress response. Eight weeks. That’s how responsive your brain is to calm.
Medical management: For symptoms like irregular periods, hair loss, acne and fertility concerns – there are effective medical options. Please speak to your doctor about what’s right for your specific situation.
The bottom line
PCOD is not a life sentence. It is a condition that responds to how you treat your body and your mind. Women have been living with this – unnamed and undiagnosed – for centuries. You have the advantage of knowledge, research and awareness that they never did.
You asked why you.
Maybe the better question is – now that you know, what will you do with it?
- Photo by Yannic Läderach on Unsplash
