Weight loss lifts fertility levels, studies show

A weight loss of as little as five to 10% can improve a woman’s chance of falling pregnant, says a recent Dutch medical study.

In fact, in the world’s first comprehensive study on weight and its effect on fertility, researchers found that losing even 5% can have a significant effect on a woman’s chances of conceiving.

The study, which involved 23 fertility centres, was carried out by the University Medical Centre in Groningen, in The Netherlands, with the findings of the study being announced in May 2016.

The study found that weight loss following a lifestyle intervention improved conception rates among obese infertile women who experienced irregular menstrual cycles. More specifically, obese infertile women who had just completed a six-month lifestyle intervention were more than four times as likely to naturally conceive compared with women who were given fertility treatment alone.

Obesity, which is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30, can affect fertility by causing hormonal imbalances and problems with ovulation. Insulin resistance, which usually presents with stubborn belly fat, is associated with poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common hormonal condition especially in infertile women, affecting up to one in five women of reproductive age.

According to Sandton based aesthetic and anti-aging practitioner Dr Sly Nedic “PCOS is a complex hormonal disorder, affecting young women at a reproductive age. “While obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance are a few of the symptoms of PCOS, it is also the leading cause of infertility… and has now become an epidemic.”

In an article published over 10 years ago in the BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal), it was already found that PCOS was accounting for 90-95% of women who attend infertility clinics with anovulation (in some menstrual cycles, an egg does not mature, and a woman does not ovulate, which is referred to as anovulation).

A hormonal imbalance is the main difficulty with PCOS.

“In women with PCOS, the body manufactures more androgens than normal. Androgens are male hormones which females also produce. High levels of these hormones affect the development and the release of eggs during ovulation. Increased levels of androgens in a woman’s body are responsible for the majority of symptoms, however many symptoms are coming from an underlying insulin resistance,” Dr Nedic explains.

In fact, insulin resistance seems to be particularly detrimental for modern PCOS epidemics.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome has a variety of signs and symptoms, which do not necessarily include having identified cysts in the ovaries in order to diagnose this disease. According to Dr Nedic, they are often absent during an ultrasound diagnosis.

PCOS Symptoms and signs

Irregular or absent menstrual cycles Infertility or recurrent miscarriage Hirsutism (excessive facial and body hair) Oily skin/acne Obesity /abdominal fat Male pattern baldness Insulin resistance Dyslipidemia (unhealthy levels of one or more kinds of lipid (fat) in the blood) Hypertension Depression and / or anxiety Sleep apnea

“All of the above affect young women who are at a reproductive age. Statistics show that 50% of these women, if left untreated, can develop diabetes type 2 by the age of 40. Meanwhile, their chances of suffering from a cardio metabolic syndrome, heart attack or cerebrovascular insult is 5-7 times higher, while the risk of contracting endometrial cancer is also increased by three fold,” says Dr Nedic.

Rising obesity rates are posing a global public health challenge. While it is increasingly being recognized that this current obesity epidemic has also contributed to fertility problems, obesity is also associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and malignancies such as colon and endometrial cancer.

Studies have shown that overweight and obese women with PCOS may have a greater chance of becoming pregnant if they lose weight before beginning fertility treatment.

Not only can it assist with possible fertility issues, but a weight loss of 5 to 10% can also result in an increase in HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, which can lower the risk of developing heart disease.

Modest weight loss can also decrease blood pressure. Research has also shown that a weight loss of 5 to 10% can decrease a person’s Hemoglobin A1C, the marker used to screen for diabetes, by half a point on average. Furthermore, this degree of weight loss has been found to decrease insulin levels and can help to decrease insulin resistance.

Medical research has shown that there is strong and consistent evidence that overweight and obese patients in well-designed programmes can achieve a weight loss as much as 10% of their baseline weight. Prescription medication together with lifestyle adjustments such as a healthy eating and exercise plan, can help kick start a weight loss journey, or can help someone get back on track.

Speak to your doctor about options for weight loss management.