Obesity reduces reproductive function in men and women Overweight and obese women have higher levels of a hormone called leptin, which is produced in fatty tissue. This can cause hormone disturbances and lead to reduced fertility. Excess weight, particularly excess abdominal fat, is linked to insulin resistance. Changes in the fine-tuned hormonal balance that regulates the menstrual cycle triggered by excess weight and obesity also increase the risk of anovulation. Many women who carry excess weight still ovulate, but it appears the quality of the eggs they produce is reduced. When obese couples use IVF to conceive, the chance of a live birth is lower than for women with normal BMI. Obese women are about three times as likely as non-obese women to have an infant with either spina bifida or an omphalocele and about twice as likely to have a baby with either a heart defect or multiple anomalies An obese woman is three times more likely to miscarry. The risks
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