Obesity’s link with Infertility

One could not possibly overemphasize on the fact that obesity is one of the most serious prevalent threats to the modern lifestyle. Obesity is not always brought in by the lifestyle alone, but also by one’s chromosomes as well. The condition could be compared to an open invitation for other diseases and disorders. The sheer extra physical weight brought in, which is the hallmark of the condition, could exert extra stress on the knees and hips and would lead them to wear out sooner than they would have done otherwise. Another alarming fact is that obesity has been linked to infertility in women. Many studies undertaken do ratify this fact. Obesity can further worsen problems with ovulation and irregular menstrual periods. It also lowers the effectiveness of the body’s responses to fertility treatment and miscarriages.

Few years ago, on a study performed by Jan Willem Van der Steeg, a researcher at Amsterdam’s Academical Medical Centre, it was found that a woman with a BMI of 40 or more had a 43% less chance of conception. Though it wasn’t exactly clear as to how obesity affects fertility, he suggested that it could be the disruption of the hormone Leptin which could be the possible and probable cause. Leptin regulates the energy expenditure of the body and also the appetite and any disruption to this hormone would prevent successful fertilization. Other studies on this suggest that insulin excess and insulin resistance could also contribute to the adversity of the situation. The adverse effects of obesity with regard to reproduction are particularly obvious in the case of individuals suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome.

In men, obesity is closely associated with a low testosterone level. In individuals suffering from a severe case of obesity, reduced spermatogenesis associated with severe hypotestosteronemia votes for infertility. Also to be noted is that erectile dysfunction gets more aggravated with the increase of the BMI.

Obesity manifests in a manner that is detrimental to human interests in a broad spectrum; over the realms of reproduction, physical mobility and many other body functions. Treatment of obesity may improve the androgen imbalance in men along with erectile dysfunction. It also makes women more responsive to assisted reproductive procedures. Obesity is a very contemporary, prevalent yet disguised threat to human life and certainly demands caution. The number of individuals suffering from the condition is going up every day.