Being Overweight May Contribute to Infertility

Obesity contributes to a variety of health problems and can make life more difficult. For some time now it has been know that obesity was a known contributor to ovulation problems. Researchers have now discovered that in addition to ovulation problems obesity may also lead to fertility issues even in obese women who ovulate regularly. This new research shows that women who were extremely over weight were 43% less likely to conceive than woman who were either of average weight or were slightly obese.

The recent study conducted by Amsterdam’s Academic Medical Center looked at just over 3,000 couples having difficulty conceiving. The couples were all evaluated and determined to have no obvious cause of infertility. The study kept track of the couples until they either conceived or sought treatment for fertility issues. The women in the study were separated into four groups divided by BMI. The groups were labeled underweight, normal weight, over weight and obese. Most of the women that the study followed fell into either the normal weight or over weight groups. Only 10% of the women were put into the group of obese BMI.

After a year of closely studying the participants it was determined that the obese group had the most difficulty getting pregnant. It is not entirely clear why obesity affects a woman’s fertility, particularly when they ovulate on a regular basis. The study does theorize that one possibility could be related to hormone leptin, which may disrupt fertilization. One thing is for sure, what researchers once believed to be the truth about how obesity affects a woman’s fertility is probably no longer valid. Numerous studies have all confirmed these findings and all have had similar outcomes. Obesity's effect on reproduction is still unclear and researchers continue to look for a concrete cause to the issue.