Obesity and your eggs

For some time, women who are very overweight have been told that they have a reduced chance of success with IVF - and in some areas have been denied access to funded treatment because of this - but now for the first time researchers may have found out why.  It appears that women who are very overweight are more likely to have abnormalities in their eggs and that this reduces the chances of fertilisation.

Researchers in the US examined almost 300 eggs that hadn't fertilised during IVF cycles, and found that the eggs belonging to women who were severely obese were much more likely to have abnormally arranged chromosomes.  It is important to stress that these weren't women who were just a little plump - the eggs were only shown to have a problem in women who had a BMI (body mass index) of at least 35.  Interestingly, the research team say that by losing weight woman could improve their chances of getting pregnant - so the damage is not irreversible. 

Losing weight can be difficult when you're going through fertility treatment and feeling generally rather down and depressed, but this new research suggests that for anyone who is seriously overweight, making an effort may prove to make all the difference.  Don't forget that you can always visit your GP for help and advice about weight loss - and that joining a group can sometimes give you the added impetus you need.  For anyone with PCOS who is finding it hard to lose weight, I'd suggest getting in touch with Verity - the PCOS network - not because they have some miracle weight loss magic, but because the support of others in a similar situation can make all the difference.