- Health

What is the link between obesity and infertility?

What do you mean by obesity?

Obesity is a condition in which the body fat percentage of the person is much more than the normal range. Obese people are also referred to as being overweight.

What makes a person obese?

Obesity can be caused due to genetic factors or some underlying conditions that lead to weight gain. The most common cause of obesity is an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle. When a person’s calorie intake is more than the calories he spends on a daily basis, he starts gaining weight. If this keeps happening and the person keeps gaining weight, his BMI increases more than the normal range and he gets diagnosed as a person with obesity.

Over-consumption of sugary drinks and fried foods, which are rich in calories, is one of the most common causes of weight gain. Some diseases and medications can also cause weight gain in some people. Certain diseases can make you inactive, which in turn will make you gain weight. Some medications may cause bloating or weight gain as their side effects in some people.

What are the problems that can be caused due to obesity?

Obesity can increase the risks of getting the following diseases or complications in people.

  • Heart diseases or strokes due to high blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Digestive problems such as heartburn and liver issues.
  • Obese people are at a higher risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.
  • Breathing problems or sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing keeps stopping and starting again and again during sleep.
  • People with obesity are highly prone to developing cancer.
  • Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are also more common in obese people, which is a leading factor in many serious diseases, including having a negative impact on fertility.
  • Being overweight can cause extra complications for a person suffering from Osteoarthritis.

How does obesity affect fertility in women?

Case studies have shown that women who are obese have a higher chance of miscarriage. Being overweight can disturb the hormone balance. Obesity increases the production of insulin and disturbs the regular ovulation cycle. Obesity often leads to a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS) or Polycystic Ovary Disease(PCOD). This condition often causes irregular periods and ovulation and damages metabolic and hormonal functions, thus causing infertility.

Also, obese women suffer more complications during pregnancy, like high blood pressure or diabetes. The success rates of assisted reproduction, which is done through techniques such as IVF or ICSI, are also low in women who are obese.

How does obesity affect fertility in men?

Obese men face issues with fertility as well. Obesity interferes with hormone production and sperm quality in men. Fat converts the male hormone testosterone into estrogen, thus having a bad impact on fertility. Dr. Shwetaa, the best IVF doctor in Noida with her staff at Zeeva IVF clinic in Noida, can give you a detailed analysis of how obesity affects fertility rates negatively.

How to prevent obesity?

As per the advice of Dr. Shweta Goswami, the best IVF doctor in Noida at the best IVF clinic in Noida, Zeeva clinic, healthy dietary and lifestyle changes can keep a person away from obesity. Some of them are as follows.

Limit sugar intake

Over-consumption of sugar or foods and beverages that are high in sugar content is one of the main reasons for the increasing obesity rates across the world.

Avoid eating out too often.

Eating out too often can keep making you unhealthy and gain weight. Foods that are prepared outside at restaurants are often cooked with high amounts of oil and unhealthy ingredients. By cooking at home, you have the freedom to control the ingredients as well as nutritional value on your own.

Reduce alcohol

Most alcoholic drinks have high sugar content and therefore cause weight gain in adults.

Follow a workout routine.

Exercise can give you multiple benefits by lowering your stress levels and keeping you active. Moreover, it increases metabolism and helps you in burning calories which in turn keeps you safe from the risk of getting obese.

Take adequate hours of sleep.

Getting proper sleep will help you manage your stress level and keep your mind and body healthy.

Try to control your stress levels.

Being stressed releases the hormone cortisol, which starts hunger and cravings even if you don’t need those calories. This makes you gain weight.

Conclusion

Being obese can have negative impacts on both the mental as well as physical health of the body. It can create hormonal imbalance and cause miscarriage or complications during pregnancy in women and sometimes even make it difficult to conceive. In men, obesity reduces sperm count as well as interferes with the quality.

Dr. Shweta is the best IVF doctor in Noida who can explain the negative effects of obesity on fertility in more detail. Visit her at Zeeva clinic, the best IVF clinic in Noida, to get a consultation and fulfill your dreams of entering parenthood. The best IVF clinic in Noida, Zeeva clinic, with its excellent team and guidance of Dr. Shweta, the best IVF doctor in Noida, has helped over 3500 families to get successful results through their treatments.