The 2016 report given by World Health Organisation (WHO) about the data on world obesity shows that obesity has tripled since 1975, 40% of the adult female world population was overweight and about 15% were obese. It is well known about the fact about the negative effects of these conditions on fertility. This is the outcome of several factors such as low endometrial receptivity. The endometrium is the temporary lining of the uterus and is shed each month during the menstrual cycle. Obesity is associated with the low receptivity of the uterus and makes embryonic implantation more difficult, thereby decreasing the chances of a normal conception or a successful IVF treatment. As the BMI increases in females, implantation and pregnancy rates decrease significantly as well.
Recent studies on the effect of obesity and overweight among men show that there is a significant effect on male fertility as well. The studies show that the motility and quality of the sperm are considerably affected when a man is obese or overweight. Many research studies are still being conducted to find the correlation between obesity and decreased fertility in patients and how being overweight affects fertility in both males and females.
In reality, the period of time needed by obese women is often longer when trying to become pregnant spontaneously and are triple times more likely to have infertility issues than those women who have normal weight. Additionally, in obese women, the risk of obstetric complications is again three times higher than women with normal weight, along with increased miscarriage rates and the risk of fetal death and premature delivery being twice much more. Hence the recommendation by doctors and specialists about maintaining normal weight during pregnancy so that there is the least risk and also to avoid the undesirable effects on the baby’s health.
However, with the number of people whose fertility is getting affected by being overweight or obese increasing drastically, there is clearly a significant value in enhancing their chances of reproductive success and to make improved and effective treatments available. As such, it is not a surprise when medical consultants make recommendations that one should maintain a healthy weight through proper diet and regular exercise not only for a healthy life but to giving a chance of becoming pregnant successfully if one is trying to get pregnant.
