A fascinating topic presented by Dr Nicholas Clark from Medfem. Some insights and snippets have been incorporated.
It is logical that being at a healthy weight can and does contribute favourably to all aspects of the body, including fertility and so the inverse would be true.
Persons with a BMI higher than 25 are considered overweight, while those with a BMI over 30 are obese. More on BMI can be found
here. Overweight issues have become so prominent that deaths resulting from overweight issues exceed that of deaths from being underweight.
Overweight may adversely impact on serious medical aspects, including but not limited to:
- cardiovascular diseases - heart/ stroke
- diabetes
- musculoskeletal disorders
- Sleep apnoea
- gIucose disorders
- cancers e.g. breast, endometriosis and colon
- a heightened inflammation state and
- disability and even death for children.
From a fertility perspective, being overweight can:
- impair fertility/ subfecundity - capacity/ ability to conceive
- lower conceptions and increase miscarriage
- raise pregnancy complications and
- lower healthy live births.
Sadly obesity will reduce chances for a natural spontaneous pregnancy and may increase chromosonal problems resulting in (recurrent) miscarriages.
Egg donation and being overweight - Dr Clark highlighted that poorer outcomes may be achieved with egg donors who fall in this catogory. From a recipient's perspective, being overweight may adversely impact on the endometrial lining.
Researched findings were presented with the conclusion that obese persons posed a greater chance for abnormal egg maturation.
Whilst these concerns may be somewhat embaressing to manage and/ or diagnose, it is encouraged that persons considering fertility treatment address their weight by maintaining healthy lifestyles and a healthy diet.