Impact of obesity on women's health.
OBJECTIVE
To review the impacts of obesity on women's reproductive health and fertility.


METHODS
Literature review.


METHODS
Academic medical center.


METHODS
Forty articles are referenced. The number of patients evaluated in each of the studies varies from 33 to 213,208.


METHODS
Articles were identified from an Ovid/Medline search using the search terms obesity, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, contraception, miscarriage, infertility, and weight loss.


METHODS
The impacts of obesity on reproductive health and fertility.


RESULTS
Obesity is associated with early puberty, aberrant menstrual patterns, decreased contraceptive efficacy, ovulatory disorders, an increased miscarriage rate, and worse assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Losing weight can ameliorate many of these problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Providers must educate patients about the impacts of obesity on reproductive health and fertility.
Lash
Marcy Maguire
MM
Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachuestts, USA.
Armstrong
Alicia
A
D003267:Contraception; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011627:Puberty; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D016387:Women's Health