Obesity is a chronic medical condition
characterized by too much body fat. Obesity is diagnosed by a number called the
Body Mass Index (BMI), which calculates the amount of body fat. Your BMI is
calculated from your current height and weight. The higher the BMI the more
body fat a person has. According to the WHO 1.2 billion people
worldwide are officially classified as overweight. According to recent
study 70% of India's urban population is obese and comes under overweight
category.
According to ICMR bulletin, It is
estimated that globally between 60-80 million couples suffer from infertility
every year, of which probably between 15- 20 million are in India alone. We are all aware that being obese is not
healthy. It's not a choice that one makes in life, contrary to popular belief.
No one would want to suffer the problems caused by obesity. The reason for
obesity can be anything from eating disorders to depression to lack of
physical
activities to hormonal imbalances etc. What is important is to take a step with
determination and be a part of the fight against obesity.
Problems due to obesity:
Yet another growing problem in today’s time
among the population is infertility caused due to Obesity. Weight problem cases are on increase everywhere,
and so are infertility clinics. Almost 10% of couples in the country get
affected by infertility and are hesitant to take medical advice. The obesity
rates in India have been rising at an extensive rate, out of which quarter of
the women’s population is defined as medically obese.
Experts believe obesity has to do with the
lifestyle issues of the major population in urban India. The urban populace has
easy access to high-calorie packaged foods such as burgers, chips and colas.
Moreover, people in cities follow a sedentary lifestyle. Little or no physical
activity and a predilection for gizmos such as video games, computers are to
blame.
What Fertility Issues Are Caused By
Excessive Weight Gain?
- Irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles
- Increased risk of infertility
- Less success with fertility treatments
- Increased risk of miscarriage.
- Obesity also increases the risks of high blood pressure and diabetes during the pregnancy.
I see at least 10 to 25 patients in a
day coming to me for infertility out of which 50 to 60% are obese”. Current figures in New Delhi indicate that every second person
fulfills criteria of obesity or has excess abdominal fat. Women who are obese are also at a greater
risk for pregnancy complications like having a C-section, giving birth to a
large baby or even developing gestational diabetes and hypertension Shilpi Sachdeva (name changed on request) 30, a housewife, her world came
to an end when she got to know that she can’t be pregnant. She was fat,
Shilpi’s BMI was 35 before marriage and she is 5ft taller but she ignored. When
the pressure from in-laws increases to have baby then she underwent Ovarian
reserve testing which helps determining the quality and quantity of the eggs
available for ovulation. Her tests showed that she has developed abnormalities
in her eggs that make them impossible to fertilize – and is suffering from
infertility due to which she is now unable to conceive and the sole reason
being her infertile is her fat.
I had advised Shilpi to lose weight first and opt for IVF, many
other obese infertility patients in our program wind up achieving successful
IVF after they lose weight.
Less time and loose more:
On the other hand, with little or no time in
hand of our young urban population, they need to lose weight on time and can
shed any exorbitant amount to look good.
Patients undergoing massive weight loss after
Bariatric surgery will need cosmetic surgery to remove loose overhanging skin
from various body areas. The number of Indian patients seeking body contouring
procedures after dramatic weight loss like Abdominoplasty, breast lift surgery,
lower body lift, arm lift etc.
Hormonal Imbalance:
It is also one thing which is caused by
Obesity. The obesity epidemic in teenage girls and also in men has led to
increased insulin production and in some cases a hormonal imbalance called
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can leads to heart disease, diabetes, and
infertility.
Many young girls
complaints about irregular periods, skin acne and abnormal hair growth on their
body which appear to be caused by a higher than normal production of male
hormones. If overweight girls with PCOS can lose upto15 kgs they might resume
their regular periods without medication. This would also improve their other
PCOS related symptoms and also increases their chances of conceiving.
Peripheral fat
deposition leads to conversion of male hormones into female hormones. This not
only increases the deposition of fat in the breast region but also results in a
reduction of sperm production in men.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO
GET RID OF OBESITY:
Obesity needs to be managed long-term with a
combination of diet, increased activity and lifestyle changes.
1. Balanced diet
2. Regular physical exercise and
relaxation exercise
3. Eat three meals everyday breakfast,
lunch and dinner
4. Reduce your intake of food or drinks
that contain high level of sugar and fat
5. Eat more fruits, green leafy
vegetables and salads
6. Quit smoking and drinking
7. Go for brisk walking twice in a day
for 30 minutes
