Skip to main content

Obesity and Infertility

Meaning

Obesity and infertility describe the well-established bidirectional clinical relationship where excessive adipose tissue accumulation negatively impacts reproductive function in both males and females, thereby reducing the probability of conception. In women, obesity frequently disrupts the delicate hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, leading to chronic ovulatory dysfunction, irregular menstrual cycles, and the exacerbation of conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). For men, increased adiposity can impair spermatogenesis and significantly reduce circulating testosterone levels due to the enhanced peripheral aromatization of androgens into estrogen. Addressing the profound metabolic dysregulation associated with obesity is a crucial and often reversible therapeutic strategy for improving fertility outcomes.