Research
Hormonal
Leptin levels are higher in women for any given fat mass and are critical for female fertility, with low leptin reducing fertility in women but not men.
For women, maintaining a minimum level of body fat is crucial for fertility because leptin signals reproductive readiness. Extremely low body fat can lead to infertility, a biological safeguard not present in men.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Women have higher leptin levels than do men, even at birth, and this difference persists throughout life... Low leptin levels reduce fertility. Ovarian function of adult women is associated with their fatness at birth.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies on leptin, fertility, and reproductive outcomes.
Source
Sex differences in fat storage, fat metabolism, and the health risks from obesity: possible evolutionary origins
Michael L. Power et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2007
DOI 10.1017/s0007114507853347
narrative_reviewCited 604×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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