So what is your dream weight? Size zero? Or would you like a big bosom and huge buttocks like the old time film stars. Fashions are a dictate of the society that you live in. Beauty is a creation of the human mind. But did you know that that both ‘thin’ and ‘fat’ impair fertility? Let’s look at it a little scientifically.
We all know that an egg is released around the 12th to 14th day of the menstrual cycle. The time from the egg release or ovulation to the next oncoming period is relatively fixed at 14 days. If ovulation is delayed by, say, one week, the next period will also be delayed by a week. And what if ovulation does not occur at all – then the next period will be delayed and irregular. Both, the delay and absence of ovulation impair fertility. The factors that could cause this are – excessive weight, too thin, excessive eating, excessive starvation, excessive exercise, too sedentary – are you getting it? It is the extreme of anything and you could land up as infertile.
A normal body fat level is essential for fertility. Fat levels 10-15% below normal can completely shut down the reproductive process. Women at risk include those with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, women on very low-calorie diets, strict vegetarians if their diet is insufficient in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, folic acid, and marathon runners, competition athletes and dancers. Overweight or obese women (body fat levels 10-15% above normal) commonly have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) associated with infertility. Although most of the female hormone, estrogen, is produced in the ovaries, 30% is produced by the fat cells by a process which transforms the circulating male hormone into estrogen. Since a normal hormonal milieu is very essential for the process of conception, it is not surprising that extreme weight levels, either high or low, can contribute to infertility. So the key to the management of infertility is to maintain your weight appropriate for your height.
How can one decide this? One way is to determine your body fat mass by calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index) using the formula BMI= Weight in kgs / Height in m2. For Asians, overweight is a BMI between 23 and 29.9 kg/m2 and obesity a BMI more than 30 kg/m2. An approximate idea can be got by measuring your height in feet and inches. Suppose you are 5 feet and 4 inches tall, your average weight could be taken as 54 kgs. Keep your weight within 10% of this figure – plus or minus and you should be just about right weight for your height not only to enhance your chances of getting pregnant but with other health benefits as well.
Among the women who are obese, with a BMI more than 35, it is the distribution of fat which is very important. ‘Pear shaped’ women who have fat inside the abdomen and the area of the waist are more likely to have dominance of ‘male’ features like acne, excessive facial hair, high blood pressure, high sugar levels and abnormal lipids. All these features, in various combinations are not only health hazards but may exist with PCOS and contribute to absent ovulation leading to irregular or absent periods and infertility.