Obese Women Far Less Likely To Get Pregnant
This is not entirely surprising. Overweight women have a hard time getting pregnant. It seems like the key to fertility is healthiness. And it looks like healthiness and fat are at odds. A study recently conducted principally by Dr Jan Willem van der Steeg showed that women with a Body Mass Index (that’s BMI to you, Russ) over 29 have a harder time conceiving than those in the “normal range” of 21-29. It showed that every BMI point above 29 is the equivalent of being one year older. And this is just in women who ovulate regularly. Obesity can also cause disruptions in ovulation. The study surveyed 3,000 couples in the Nether Netherlands.
We have two major problems with the results of this study. 1) BMI is not a very good representation of health. It was invented in the 1800’s as a way to catalogue different body types. A football player who is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds will have the same BMI as a Nintendo ranger of the same height and weight. Calculate your BMI (if you care to) by taking your weight (in pounds) dividing it by the square of your height (in inches) and multiplying by about 700. The example above (6’ tall and 200 lbs) would produce a BMI of 27 irrespective of shape. Body fat percentage is a much better guide. 2) The study assumes that everyone is having the same amount of sex. Bad call. We would imagine, in more cases than not, people in good shape have more energy and more sex. Sure there are lots of chunky fuckers out there. For instance, and we hate to bring this up, the couple that got its kicks out of scamming Thomas Haden Church in Sideways. They were copulating with hats off, and then we had to see the man’s wang. But energy and sex appeal, at some level, probably account for part of this fertility problem.
This lack of fertility in obese women could really be a boon for some communities. The chubby-chasing subculture would probably see this as a real plus.
By the way, the original title to this article is: ‘Obesity Reduces Chances Of Spontaneous Pregnancy In Women Who Are Subfertile But Ovulating Normally.’ Best title ever, we always assumed ‘Spontaneous Pregnancy’ was like either Immaculate Conception or hysterical pregnancy.
Read More Of The Original Article From Science Daily…