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- $Unique_ID{BRK01103}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Does Being Overweight Contribute to Infertility?}
- $Subject{pregnancy fertility fertile obese obesity diet diets dieting weight
- overweight underweight menstruation menstrual disorders ovulation disorder
- infertility infertile sterile sterility}
- $Volume{K-26}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Does Being Overweight Contribute to Infertility?
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- QUESTION: I am 26 years of age, married for about 6 years, and wish very much
- to have a baby. We have been seeing a doctor for some time now, who has been
- very helpful and reassuring. He has been hinting lately that my problem is
- not being helped by the 35 pounds or so that I am overweight, and has become
- stricter about my diet program. Is there any truth to his opinion, or is this
- inspired by general attitude on fitness?
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- ANSWER: Fitness and normal weight are important factors in just about every
- health problem I deal with, and I might be supportive of your physician's
- perspective on this basis alone; but there is now more evidence to consider.
- Infertility is not a simple condition, and their are many factors and causes,
- both on the father's side as well as the mother's. Abnormal ovulation may be
- one of those causes, and new research sponsored by the National Institute of
- Child Health and Human Development and conducted at the University of
- Washington in Seattle would seem to point to excessive overweight or
- underweight as a factor in this condition. Weight disorders are generally
- accepted as contributing to menstrual disorders, but researchers now estimate
- that among women who have never had a child, weighing too much accounts for 6
- per cent of infertility related to ovulation problems, and the same number of
- cases in women who weigh too little. It would appear that your physician's
- opinion is based upon more than instinct or attitude and has a sound
- scientific basis.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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