Research
Hormonal
Obesity reduces oocyte quality and maturity, leading to lower fertilization rates and increased miscarriage, independent of the number of follicles developed.
If you are obese, your eggs may be less mature and fertilize less efficiently, even if you produce many follicles during IVF. This increases the risk of miscarriage. Losing weight before IVF can improve egg quality and increase your chances of a successful pregnancy.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
In a study done to assess the impact of isolated obesity upon ICSI outcome, it was observed that obese women (BMI >30 kg/m2) required higher total doses of gonadotrophin stimulation, despite significantly fewer oocyte–cumulus complexes and metaphase II oocytes being retrieved, suggesting that obesity may independently be a risk factor for impaired oocyte maturation.
Why this rating
The paper notes heterogeneity in studies, with some showing reduced oocyte quality and others not, suggesting the effect may be context-dependent.
Source
The adverse effects of obesity on conception and implantation
Christopher Brewer et al. · Reproduction · 2010
DOI 10.1530/rep-09-0568
narrative_reviewCited 492×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) significantly impairs female fecundity and increases the risk of miscarriage through hormonal perturbations (elevated leptin, insulin resistance, altered SHBG) and direct effects on oocyte quality and endometrial receptivity.Good
- Elevated leptin levels in obesity disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, inhibiting folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation, thereby reducing fecundity.Good
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