Obesity has serious effects on fertility and reproductive health, making it a growing global health concern. Given the high incidence of both obesity and infertility, a more thorough knowledge of their interrelationship is required.

A recent study states that women who have larger waist circumferences are more likely to experience infertility independent of BMI values. Additionally, it adds that exercise may help prevent infertility, particularly in women with larger waist measurements (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Association between waist circumference and female infertility in the United States

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Insights on Clinical Study Highlighting Obesity-Linked Female Infertility

According to the study, the relationship between obesity and female infertility may be explained by waist circumference (WC) rather than body mass index (BMI).

A total of 3,239 female volunteers, aged 18 to 45, were included in the study; 327 (11.1%) of them were infertile. The waist circumference (102.8 cm vs. 93.7 cm, respectively) and BMI (32.0 vs. 28.7) of infertile subjects were higher than those of fertile persons. Furthermore, among infertile women, conditions including diabetes and hypertension were more prevalent.

Individuals with a large waist circumference (between 109.3 and 172.5 cm) had a 2.64-fold chance of infertility than those with the lowest waist circumference (between 56.4 and 77.8).

The findings showed a 3% increase in the chance of infertility for every 1 cm (0.39 in) increase in waist circumference. It suggested that waist circumference as a clinical measure of abdominal obesity, and infertility were positively correlated, regardless of BMI.

How Abdominal Obesity Increases Female Infertility?

Obesity can raise the risk of female infertility by one or more of the following factors –

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  Obesity can cause alterations in hormonal profiles, including excessive secretion of leptin, insulin, adipokine, androgen, and estrogen, and lower levels of adiponectin and sex hormone-binding globulin.
• This hormonal imbalance leads to functional alteration of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, menstrual disorder, and impairs folliculogenesis.
• Ovulation disorders and hormonal imbalances might be made worse by insulin resistance, which is frequently associated with obesity.
• Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which are common in obese people, may worsen insulin resistance, interfere with ovarian function, and compromise embryo implantation.

Significance of Physical Activity to Reduce Infertility in Obese Women

The risk of infertility can be considerably reduced by engaging in moderate to high physical activity, which can be a common protective factor. Engaging in moderate recreational activity lowers the incidence of WC-related infertility, particularly in cases where the waist circumference is greater than 113.5 cm.

Additionally, it has been demonstrated that physical activity lowers pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress, which may help to increase fertility.

Therefore, by keeping an eye on their waist circumference and partaking in modest recreational activities, women who are attempting to conceive may be able to boost their chances of conception.

Limitations of the Study

However, the study only demonstrates an association, not proof, that a greater waist circumference raises the likelihood of infertility. The study also contains several shortcomings. Given that infertility was self-reported, it’s possible that the individuals had trouble remembering the precise length of their infertility struggles. Since the study only analyzed American data, its conclusions might not apply to other nations.

More research is required to precisely understand how increased waist circumference contributes to infertility. Meanwhile, maintaining a healthy weight can prevent serious illnesses and early mortality.

To summarize, the mitigation of abdominal obesity and the enhancement of reproductive health in women necessitates the implementation of suitable strategies for controlling waist circumference and engaging in moderate recreational activities.

Reference:

1. Association between waist circumference and female infertility in the United States – (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295360)

Source-Medindia