Research

Hormonal

Being overweight (BMI >= 25.0) is associated with an increased risk of ovulatory disorder infertility, and is responsible for a larger portion of infertility cases in the US population than being underweight.

If you are overweight (BMI 25 or higher) and trying to conceive, losing weight can significantly improve your chances. The study suggests that being overweight is a major cause of ovulatory infertility in the US. Weight loss can correct hormonal imbalances like insulin resistance and high androgens, thereby restoring ovulation.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
We observed a U-shaped association between body mass index (BMI) and relative risk of ovulatory infertility, with increased risk for BMI below 20.0 or above 24.0 kg/m2... 25% (95% CI 20 –31%) to overweight (BMI >=25.0).
Janet W. Rich‐Edwards et al. · Epidemiology · 2002

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort with robust statistical modeling (spline regression) and validation substudy.

Source

Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Ovulatory Disorder Infertility

Janet W. Rich‐Edwards et al. · Epidemiology · 2002

DOI 10.1097/00001648-200203000-00013

cohort · n=116671Cited 410×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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