Infertility is one of the major problems related to obesity and this problem is compounded with every pound rise in weight. Research says that every unit increase in BMI over 29 reduces the chances of fertility by 4%. Thus morbidly obese females have very low rate of fertility as compared to age-matched women with normal weight.
Obesity hampers fertility in several ways; hormonal disturbances are thought to be the main cause of infertility in obese women. Obese females usually don’t have regular menstruation and ovulation which are cornerstones of achieving pregnancy. Another astonishing fact is that even those obese women who have regular menstruation and ovulation still have little chances of pregnancy. This fact was testified in a research by Dr. Van der Steeg, a medical researcher at the Academic Medical Center in The Netherlands. This means the mechanism behind low fertility rate in obesity is very complex and many missing links are yet to be elucidated.
Losing weight improves many obesity related problems and if weight loss is gradual, it also increases pregnancy rate. Weight loss improves fertility by several ways by removing the bad effects of obesity. Several studies have been published emphasizing the significance of weight loss in improving fertility. Some of the proposed mechanisms are as follows,
Weight loss reduces insulin resistance which is beneficial in improving fertility rate in women having polycystic ovarian disease. Insulin resistance is an important factor causing infertility in PCOS, when it is removed, hormonal disturbances also improve so is chance of getting pregnancy.
Weight loss helps improves menstrual irregularities in obese ladies and induces normal ovulatory cycles. This again increases the chances of pregnancy.
Having or achieving normal weight not only improves the chances of pregnancy but it is also helpful in reducing pregnancy related problems. Research has found that obese ladies entering pregnancy have more chances of getting gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, fetal abnormalities and difficult labor. This is again a valid reason for achieving normal weight before being pregnant.
Weight loss needs a solid commitment and a right selection of weight loss program. General measures (exercise and dieting) and medications are effective in losing weight in mild to moderate obesity (BMI 30-35) but morbid obesity (BMI more than 40) is a special issue which is best solved with Bariatric surgery. Weight loss surgery is extremely effective at losing weight in morbid obesity. The only remembering point is that weight loss surgery is a specialized surgery for which only dedicated Bariatric surgery hospital is a safe site. Don’t choose a substandard cheap weight loss surgery center that lacks many of the much needed facilities for safety of the patient.
Related posts:
