Obesity and time to pregnancy
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Obesity may reduce fecundity. We examined the obesity-fecundity association in relation to menstrual cycle regularity, parity, smoking habits and age to gain insight into mechanisms and susceptible subgroups. METHODS: Data were provided by 7327 pregnant women enrolled in the Collaborative Perinatal Project at 12 study centres in the United States from 1959 to 1965. Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) was analysed continuously and categorically [underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), optimal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2) and obese (>or=30.0 kg/m2)]. Adjusted fecundability odds ratios (FORs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards modelling for discrete time data. RESULTS: Fecundity was reduced for overweight [OR=0.92, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.84, 1.01] and obese (OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.95) women compared with optimal weight women and was more evident for obese primiparous women (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.89). Fecundity remained reduced for overweight and obese women with normal menstrual cycles. Neither smoking habits nor age modified the association. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was associated with reduced fecundity for all subgroups of women and persisted for women with regular cycles. Our results suggest that weight loss could increase fecundity for overweight and obese women, regardless of menstrual cycle regularity, parity, smoking habits and age.
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Women with a pre-pregnancy BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 are more likely than women with a BMI of 20-24.99 kg/m2 to have problems conceiving a child.
“Women who have a pre‐pregnancy body mass index greater than 25 kg m–2 are more likely than those with a body mass index in the ideal range (20–24.99 kg m–2) to have problems conceiving a child”
From Overweight, obesity and excessive weight gain in pregnancy as risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes: A narrative review (2022) · cites this paper as [24]
Among women with no obvious menstrual cycle disorders, overweight and obesity delay conception in women who are trying to become pregnant.
“Among women with no obvious menstrual cycle disorders, overweight and obesity delay conception in women who are trying to become pregnant. 24”
From Overweight, obesity and excessive weight gain in pregnancy as risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes: A narrative review (2022) · cites this paper as [24]
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Obesity and female infertility: potential mediators of obesity's impact
Broughton, D. E., & Moley, K. H. (2017) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.01.017 · Cited by 845 · see citing works
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Obesity, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Infertility: A New Avenue for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
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Body mass index, physical activity and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort study
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Physical activity before IVF and ICSI cycles in infertile obese women: an observational cohort study
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- Authors
- Gesink Law, D. C., Maclehose, R. F., & Longnecker, M. P.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Venue
- Human Reproduction
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2006-09-27
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 414-420
- ISSN
- 0268-1161 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2350
- PMC
- PMC1924918
- OpenAlex
- W2086018970
- Cited by
- 486
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 10.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Human Reproduction (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01ES049016)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- obesity, fecundity, time to pregnancy, pre-pregnancy body mass index, menstrual cycle regularity, parity, primiparous women, smoking, age, weight loss, Collaborative Perinatal Project
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Female, Fertility, Humans, Menstrual Cycle, Obesity, Parity, Pregnancy, Smoking, Body Mass Index
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