Impact of Obesity on Fertility

The prevalence of Obesity and overweight are increasing and have become an epidemic worldwide. Obesity has detrimental influences on all systems, including reproductive health.
 The prevalence of obesity in infertile women is high, and it is well known that there is an association between obesity and infertility.

 Overweight women have a higher incidence of menstrual dysfunction and anovulation. The risk of infertility, conception rates, miscarriage rates, and pregnancy complications are increased in these women.

They have poor reproductive outcomes in natural as well as assisted conception. These poor reproductive outcomes include assisted reproduction such as ovulation induction, in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), and ovum donation cycles. 

Weight loss has beneficial effects on the reproductive outcomes in these patients.
Because of lower implantation and pregnancy rates, higher miscarriage rates, and increased maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy, obese women have a lower chance to give birth to a healthy newborn.

Lets study the 5 ways in which Obesity affects your Fertility.

1. Obesity affects your hormones

When your body mass index goes past the overweight category (BMI of 25–29.9) into the obese category (BMI of 30 and above), hormonal changes may occur in your body. When your levels of natural hormones change, your chances of conception decrease.

2. Obesity leads to insulin resistance

The hormonal imbalance that comes with obesity often leads to insulin resistance. That is a major risk factor on the road to diabetes — but it also affects your fertility and can create abnormal menstrual cycles. Insulin resistance can lead to anovulation, in which your body does not produce eggs properly.

3. Obesity affects natural and assisted pregnancies

Obesity makes it more challenging to become pregnant, no matter whether you’re using natural means or by reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). It also increases your risk for a miscarriage. This issue may be caused by the hormonal issues noted above or because of your body producing poor quality eggs.

4. Obesity decreases your partner’s fertility, too

Although much of the focus on obesity and infertility is on women, it absolutely affects men, too. For men, obesity leads to a drop in testosterone, which can lead to infertility. On top of that, erectile dysfunction occurs at a higher rate among obese men.

5. Losing weight can improve all of the above

If the issues above seem depressing, don’t worry — you and your partner can improve your chances of success by losing weight. As you lose weight, the hormonal imbalances and other effects of obesity begin to decrease. 

If you need help with a weight-loss plan, talk to your doctor. But you can get started on a healthy path by incorporating positive lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, reduced portion sizes and healthier food choices.

                                             Written By                                                                                        

                                                 

                                                           

                                                               Dr Hitesh Bathija

                                                                         ( Medical Practitioner and Nutritionist)