does anyone else worry that fat beauties like me might be infertile

Hello~ I am He Si.

Last time, we talked about the impact of male obesity on that aspect. For details, please click ↓

“Short” confrontation! The most unexpected harm of obesity!

So, is obesity not as bad for women in some aspects? “The way of heaven has a cycle, and heaven spares no one.”

Obesity also has considerable harm to women! Next, let me introduce “a friend of mine.”

I have a female college friend, Xiao H. During college, she had a well-proportioned figure. After graduation, she married her boyfriend and stayed in Chengdu for work. She is a genuine “foodie.” When not working, she is always out looking for food, and her social media is full of Chengdu delicacies. Due to her busy work schedule and lack of exercise, her figure gradually changed, with a protruding belly and an increasing waistline.

However, Xiao H didn't mind. But after nearly three years of marriage, apart from the “love handles” on her belly, there was no other movement. She dragged her husband for a check-up, and everything was normal. Helplessly, Xiao H went to Huaxi Women and Children's Hospital for a consultation. After inquiring, the doctor found that Xiao H had high work pressure, often stayed up late working overtime, had irregular menstruation, often delayed, and had some youthful acne. But for young female white-collar workers, these situations seemed “not unusual.” After a series of physical examinations, the doctor discovered more: besides her plump figure, Xiao H had denser and coarser hair around her lips and on her arms compared to her peers. Relevant test results showed: no significant abnormalities in the uterus, but both ovaries were significantly enlarged, showing polycystic changes. Blood test reports indicated elevated androgen levels.

Now the truth is out:

Xiao H has a common disease among obese women of childbearing age—Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is an endocrine disorder that can cause the ovaries not to ovulate, naturally leading toinfertility.

Of course, not every obese woman will develop PCOS affecting ovulation and fertility, but obesity is indeed very unfriendly to women trying to conceive!

1. Obesity affects ovulation

The ovulation process in women is regulated by the [Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovary Axis]. If we go into detail, this article would never end. Obese women are prone to dysfunction in this regulatory system, leading to ovulation disorders and menstrual irregularities. If there are endocrine diseases like PCOS, with severe metabolic disorders, it directly causes infertility.However, healthy weight loss and medication to regulate metabolism can reverse this issue.

A study published in 'Human Reproduction' in 2017 showed thatobese couples take 55% longer to conceive compared to couples with normal weight. Obese men also have poor semen quality.

However, even if only the woman is obese and the man has a normal weight, it still takes 24% longer for them to conceive compared to couples with normal weight.

2. Obesity increases the risk of miscarriage

Some obese women cannot go through the normal reproductive process. Even the success rate of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer is lower than that of women with normal weight. Excessive fat tissue compresses the uterus, reducing the receptivity of the endometrium (simply put, the elasticity of the endometrium decreases, making it difficult for the embryo to implant in the uterus), and the early growth process of the placenta is easily affected by this harmful factor. Therefore, observational data shows that the miscarriage and stillbirth rates of obese women are significantly higher.

3. Obesity affects pregnancy outcomes

Really, obesity is very unfriendly to women trying to conceive and give birth! It's hard enough to get pregnant, and it also increases the risk of miscarriage. Even if you safely pass the pregnancy period, obesity still doesn't spare pregnant women at the last moment!

According to clinical data from 48,867 full-term singleton primiparas who delivered in 39 secondary and above specialized and general hospitals nationwide in 2011, with the increase in BMI,the incidence of macrosomia(birth weight ≥ 4kg)increases, with the highest probability of macrosomia in obese women, reaching 17.5%. Due to their large size, macrosomic babies are difficult to deliver naturally, increasing the incidence of cesarean sections. Obese mothers have weaker pelvic muscles and more fat tissue accumulation, increasing the risk of postpartum infection and prolonging hospital stays.

After discussing the impact of obesity on the female reproductive system, I thought of another unexpected point:

Obesity can actually reduce the success rate of contraception in women!

This is really outrageous!!

Too fat, irregular menstruation, and ovulation make it difficult to conceive!

Even if you manage to get pregnant, it increases the risk of miscarriage!

Carefully pass the pregnancy period, and the chances of macrosomia and cesarean section are the highest during delivery!

Now you're telling me: overweight women also have a lower success rate with birth control pills!!!

Oh my god! Is there any justice left!

Calm down, let me explain why:

Initially, doctors investigated 18,445 women and found that the chances of unintended pregnancy in overweight and obese women were nearly twice as high as in women with normal weight. Further research on women using different contraceptive methods revealed thatthe failure rate of oral contraceptives in obese women is twice that of women with normal weight.

Researchers speculate that this is because, after taking contraceptives, the drugs are often preferentially stored in fat tissue in obese women, reducing the concentration in the blood, thereby decreasing the contraceptive effect. In some cases, the larger the body weight, the slower the drug reaches the target tissue, and the longer it takes, affecting the drug's effectiveness!

It's really unexpected how much obesity can affect a woman's fertility. If you are planning to have a baby, make sure tomaintain a healthy weight, lose weight before getting pregnant, it's good for both you and the baby!

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