Fertility: how is it affected by obesity?

Excessive fat accumulation leads to obesity, which is a major health risk. According to studies, overweight and obese women, i.e. women with an increased body mass index, are more difficult to get pregnant and have a smooth pregnancy and an easy delivery.

In particular, overweight and obese women may have oligomenorrhea, i.e., the period comes every two/three months or more, which makes it difficult to conceive. Therefore, a significant percentage of obese women resort to the solution of in vitro fertilization (IVF) However, even in the case of IVF, overweight women have more failures compared to women who are of normal weight. At the same time, the alteration of the hormonal profile caused by obesity affects the quality of the eggs as well as the risk of miscarriage is higher for obese women, especially in the first trimester. The available evidence suggests that reproductive outcomes are improved by weight loss and thus fertility is improved and menstrual cycles are regulated, increasing the likelihood of normal ovulation and conception. According to relevant studies, weight loss in overweight and obese women achieved by diet and lifestyle change has led to significantly increased pregnancy rates and healthy births. In conclusion, obese individuals are more likely to experience fertility problems as well as have reduced outcomes from infertility treatments. Therefore, obesity is directly linked to fertility as well as to problems during pregnancy (diabetes, hypertension, etc.).