Health Researcher Speaks On Impact Of Weight Loss On Fertility And Conception
Some researchers have said that only weight loss cannot boost female fertility or successful conception.
They reached this conclusion after conducting a study at nine medical centres in the United States.
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In this study published on PubMed, 379 obese women with unexplained infertility were used.
The women were split into two groups:
A researcher from the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Centre for Reproductive Research, Dr Daniel Haisenleder gave an insight into the study.
The researcher said:
“We’ve known for decades that obese women often have difficulty getting pregnant.
“For this reason, many doctors recommend weight loss before pregnancy, but few studies have addressed a healthy lifestyle, the problem of comparing exercise to exercise and weight loss.”
The doctor confirmed the method employed to carry out the research. He explained that half the women were made to lose a pound through weight loss. The other engaged in physical activity to manage their weight and lifestyle. The second category did not try to lose weight.
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Meanwhile, both groups received three rounds of standard fertility treatment.
He explained: “Women in weight loss programs lost an average of 7 per cent of their weight, but participants in the exercise-only group usually maintained their weight. But in the end, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the frequency of healthy births.
“In total, 23 of the 188 women who completed the 16-week intensive weight loss program gave birth. Of the 191 people who completed the exercise-only program, 29 gave birth.”
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Based on the outcome of the study, the researchers concluded that:
“A preconception intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss did not improve fertility or birth outcomes compared to an exercise intervention without targeted weight loss. Improvement in metabolic health may not translate into improved female fecundity,” he said.
Source: PUNCH Health Wise
