Overview
- The JAMA Network Open paper published June 17, 2026 followed 422 women for 49 consecutive days and compared each woman’s self-reported emotional eating on active hormone pill days versus inactive placebo days.
- Across the full sample and in women with past or current clinical binge-eating histories, emotional eating was significantly higher on active combined-pill days than on inactive days.
- The study measured daily self-reported emotional eating rather than clinically verified binge-eating episodes and did not directly test hormone levels, so the findings show association not proof of cause.
- Participants’ emotional eating declined over the study, a change researchers linked to self-monitoring from daily reporting, which the team highlighted as a practical tool to reduce risk.
- Authors and outlets stressed the pill remains safe for many users and urged research on mechanisms, other contraceptive methods, and which women are most likely to be affected to guide personalized care.