Research
Adherence
Lifestyle interventions leading to modest weight loss (approx. 5%) are the first-line treatment for improving ovulation and fertility in obese women with PCOS, often superior to or synergistic with insulin-sensitizing drugs like metformin.
For obese women with PCOS struggling to conceive, the most effective starting point is a lifestyle program aimed at losing about 5% of body weight. This modest loss can be enough to restore ovulation. If lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, adding insulin-sensitizing drugs like metformin alongside the diet can provide synergistic benefits.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Due to the beneficial effects of weight loss, lifestyle intervention programmes should represent the first-line approach in the treatment of infertile obese women. Insulin-sensitizing agents may add further benefits, particularly if administered in combination with hypocaloric dieting.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies cited in the review showing restoration of ovulatory cycles after modest weight loss.
Source
Obesity and reproductive disorders in women
Renato Pasquali · Human Reproduction Update · 2003
DOI 10.1093/humupd/dmg024
narrative_reviewCited 536×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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