# weight and infertility article



## wishing upon a star (Aug 14, 2007)

I have found this article and thought it may be useful for people who are overweight (like me) to read
Leanne
Body weight and infertility linked

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Penelope Debelle, Adelaide
August 24, 2007

RESEARCH has confirmed the empirical link between obesity and infertility by showing the "fat eggs" of obese women do not develop into healthy embryos.

The eggs were damaged by high levels of fat and cholesterol, which made diet a key factor in infertility, according to research by PhD student Cadence Minge from the Adelaide University Research Centre for Reproductive Health.

The eggs of female mice, which were fed a high-fat diet that made them insulin-resistant and pre-diabetic, were harvested and grown in vitro but were unable to develop into healthy embryos.

"They were much slower to divide and grow," Ms Minge said. "And the way that the cells developed was also disturbed."

Ms Minge said scientists were yet to understand exactly why the "fat eggs" were infertile and how they were damaged.

But her research had established that a protein in cells that surrounded and nourished the egg was linked to the induced fertility and its effect could be reversed by using an anti-diabetic drug such as rosiglitazone (marketed as Avandia).

The drug activated the protein that helped the egg to mature before its release so that normal embryo development function was restored.

However, Ms Minge said the drug had side effects and was not advocated as "a quick fix" for infertile women.

"The rosiglitazone findings are of great significance for scientists researching egg maturation within the ovary. But at this stage, the research findings have only been made in mice," she said.

"Also, the drug itself can have possible harmful side effects and more research is needed to find other, safer ways of activating the protein."

She said weight loss was by far the most effective way to restore fertility and even shedding five to 10 kilograms was enough to trigger ovulation in obese women who had ceased to ovulate.

"Australia is on a par with heavyweight nations such as the US and the UK, with approximately 60 per cent of Australian adults now overweight or obese," she said. "I hope these findings encourage people to carefully consider the impact of lifestyle choices on longer-term quality of life."

Ms Minge said a strong connection had been known to exist between body weight and infertility but this was the first time a scientific link had been identified.

The next step was to better understand the damage done to the eggs. Microarray techniques were being used in the laboratory to scan for differences in gene expression that would identify genes that were targeted by diet.

Ms Minge said researchers were now collecting and studying the cells of women undergoing IVF treatment.


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## Miranda7 (Feb 12, 2007)

I know it's not discussing the article as such, but oh dear, what an unfortunate name...


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## wishing upon a star (Aug 14, 2007)

lol  i thought exactly the same 
Leanne


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## LoisLane (Apr 26, 2007)

Me too  

Louj x


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## merse1 (Apr 15, 2007)

Me too!!!!  xxxxxxxxxx


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## Greeneyed (Apr 12, 2006)

Me too!  As I was reading the article I wondered if it would be too crass to mention it - so glad I am not the only one!!! 

They have used it an unnessesary amount of times in the article, don't you think?


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## Miranda7 (Feb 12, 2007)

I think I would have made it my personal challenge to see how many times I could insert her name!


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## Burnie aka Hobbit (Dec 1, 2006)

think I'd be changing it by deed poll

   and yes think the writer of the article has definately succeeded in their challenge of multiple name insertion


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## Mrs-GG (Feb 9, 2005)

Us fatties have such a bad press, I had a BMI of 34 and I managed ot get myself pregnant with ICSI

On the subject of Minge... my mum heard Jo Brand talking about the word minger recently (pronounced as in stinky person) but misheard and was calling my baby a little minger (pronounced as in ladies bits!!)


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## Nofi (Mar 8, 2007)

Hi Ladies,

I strongly share the views on the research, from my personal xperience on weith loss (see signature for weight loss amount ) below is the difference it made to my Fertility.

Treatment Wise
---- After Weight loss - PCOS no longer detected... ovary looking fine.
---- After Weight loss - AMH results increase tremendously.
---- Before Weight loss -During my 1st ICSI treatment, i cried each time i left the NHS clinic during my scans as seeing different Drs and conflicting info of not able to see right ovary. 
--- Before Weight loss- On 1st treatment, right ovary inaccessible hence only 3 eggs collected and 1 embryo (grade 3) transferred. (BFN)
--- After Weight loss (2nd ICSI) ---changed clinics, my right ovary was fully accessible, Drs were shocked i had prior issues with it being viewed.
--- After Weight loss (2nd ICSI)-- 17 eggs collected (10 immature) 4 fertilised &  2 embryo (grade 1) transferred. (BFP but m/c)

To me, weight loss did really make a difference to my entire life and health. 

Hope the info above was helpful.. 

Nofi


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## Flopsy (Sep 18, 2003)

Hi Girls,

I can't see any sign of this "research" being published in any medical journal or subjected to any scrutiny or a peer reviewed process.

It's on the eggs of mice and there's no agreement that these are particuarly useful for human research. I'm also concerned about the naming of a drug.

Would love to see the data. 

Kindest regards,


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