Obese couples have less chance of becoming pregnant

If both partners are obese, this reduces the likelihood of pregnancy
Overweight and obesity are a big problem in today's society. Researchers have now found that if both partners are obese in a partnership, the likelihood of pregnancy drops.

A team of scientists from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found in the current study that obese couples have more difficulty getting pregnant. It takes longer for such couples to get pregnant. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Human Reproduction".

Of course, when people are obese, their health suffers. Physicians noted that obesity in couples also affects the likelihood of pregnancy. (Image: staras / fotolia.com)

Obesity in women is contrary to the pregnancy desire
A number of studies have already examined the role of women's weight on their fertility. Thus, it became apparent that obesity may have a detrimental effect on the pregnancy of women. In addition, obesity is associated with less successful fertility treatments, the experts explain.

Physicians are examining 501 pairs during their study
The new study was the first to investigate how it affects trying to get pregnant when both partners have too high a body mass index (BMI). The physicians studied for 501 couples from Michigan and Texas. These were recruited for the study between 2005 and 2009.

In total, 75 men and 69 women were fat-producing
All participants measured their BMI and waist circumference at the beginning of the study. Then they were divided into different groups, explain the scientists. One group contained obese subjects, the other participants were not obese. In total, 75 men and 69 women were considered obese. These were in turn divided into two subgroups. Obese Class I (with a BMI of 30 to 34.9) and overweight Class II subjects (a BMI of 35 or greater), say the authors.

Researchers calculate probability of pregnancy
All couples were medically monitored daily for about a year or less before pregnancy. Participating women were asked to accurately record their monthly menstrual cycles, intercourse and the results of the home pregnancy test, the researchers explain. Using this data, the scientists then calculated the odds ratios of the couples for a possible pregnancy. The investigation included the probability of pregnancy during each cycle of menstruation in terms of BMI, the researchers explain.

Obese couples need up to 59 percent longer for a successful pregnancy
If only one partner was obese, the time to successful pregnancy did not change significantly, say the physicians. However, the picture was different when both partners were obese. Data from the study found that between 55% and 59% of obese couples may take longer to successfully become pregnant compared to normal weight couples. This result persisted when other factors such as smoking, age or cholesterol levels were also included.

BMI of couples has a big impact on the likelihood of pregnancy
The study makes it clear that the BMI of both partners has a great influence on the chances of getting pregnant, explains author Rajeshwari Sundaram. However, more research is needed to more closely review the results among a larger mass of the population. (As)