Obesity is a chronic, preventable multifactorial disease characterised by excessive fat accumulation or general hypertrophy of adipose tissue in the body.
Causes of Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle • Follow-up of an inadequate diet • Hypothyroidism • Genetic factors
How does obesity and/or overweight affect fertility?
International studies have found that being 10 kilograms overweight increases the risk of infertility by 10%, in addition to possible cardiovascular disease and diabetes, obesity can affect women's fertility for the following reasons: • Excess oestrogen, disrupting ovarian function and natural ovulation cycle • Uterine tumour formation (usually benign) • Amenorrhoea
Diagnosis of Obesity
A person is considered obese when their body mass index (BMI) is over 30. The ideal BMI should be less than 25 to be considered a healthy weight.
Can I have a baby if I am overweight?
When looking for a baby and being overweight or obese, it is sometimes enough for a woman to lose 5% of her body weight to restore ovulation and become pregnant.
It is important to note that although the benefits of losing weight are very significant, your lifestyle change must be accompanied by specialised assisted reproductive treatment, particularly if you are over 35.
