Weight Loss
For many, but certainly not all, overweight women, obesity can adversely affect their ability to conceive. This is mainly due to their inability to ovulate. The female human body has a built-in feedback system by which the brain can detect the weight of a woman. The mechanisms by which the body does this are unknown. This is the case if the woman is too heavy or too thin. Thus, many times obese women will have lack of ovulation and consequent cessation of menstrual periods, and the same applies to this women with anorexia nervosa and to those who exercise too vigorously. Women often note a threshold weight over which their menses cease and under which they resume menses again. Pregnancy risks for a woman who is overweight include an increased probability of high blood pressure during pregnancy as well as diabetes in pregnancy. Furthermore, actual deliveries either vaginally or by cesarean section, are often technically much more difficult.
Keeping weight down is a life-long endeavor, and the most successful regimens have been sensible dieting in conjunction with exercise. We have a team of registered dieticians at the University Hospital to help map out a sensible diet and exercise plan. Alternatively, there are programs through the American Heart Association which are quite helpful and inexpensive. Some medications can be used which reduce the absorption of fat in the diet and are helpful in initiating weight loss. If spontaneous ovulation fails to resume after optimum weight loss is achieve, ovulation can often be induced with fertility medications. These are employed only after a thorough hormonal survey is performed to make certain that an endocrine, genetic or metabolic problem is not the source of both obesity and infertility. Generally, the outlook for conception is quite good for women with obesity-related infertility.
