Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, affects six to 12 percent of women who are in their childbearing years, according to the CDC. It's a condition in which the ovaries or adrenal glands produce too much of the male hormones, and common symptoms are irregular periods, acne, thinning or excess hair growth, and unwanted weight gain, belly fat included. (View more about these symptoms here.)
PCOS can be characterized by insulin resistance, Dr. Salas-Whalen said. "In insulin resistance, cells and muscles stop absorbing glucose as efficiently and more glucose stays in the blood," Rebecca Elbaum, RD, CDE, explained to POPSUGAR in a previous interview. "The body then needs more insulin to absorb glucose so that it can be delivered to the cells. Eventually, the cells that secrete insulin fail to keep up with the body's need and blood glucose builds up in the bloodstream and stays elevated." This can predispose you to complications like prediabetes and type-2 diabetes.
For more information on PCOS, you can head over to the PCOS Awareness Association website or The Endocrine Society's hormone.org.