Fat and Fertility

Most people are told to “get in shape” if they want to get healthy and get pregnant. Of course, when trying to get pregnant, you want to have a healthy weight, and not be overweight, or have a BMI which is too high for your body type. That being said, women who are on the higher end of normal with their BMI number are more likely to conceive than women who are below the normal range, and those who suffer from anorexia, orthorexia, or exercise-induced anovulation, such as marathon trainers or professional athletes.

This January we lost scientist Rose E. Frisch, a researcher at Harvard who studied body fat and fertility. Her studies, along with her book, “Female Fertility and the Body Fat Connection”, showed that women without enough body fat had trouble becoming pregnant. And although many male scientists and doctors at the time disagreed with her, throughout the years they agreed, one even approaching her after a lecture to ask how much weight his anorexic daughter must gain in order to get pregnant.

If you have questions about your body fat, BMI or weight, you should see your doctor, a nutritionist or a health care provider who specializes in fertility and preconception care. This is not something that should be overlooked when trying to conceive. Moreover, including more healthy fats in your diet, as opposed to more carbohydrates and sugars, may be healthier than we previously thought. They key is balance, and avoiding fake foods in general. Many women find that their infertility symptoms are reduced with reducing sugars and low quality foods, for example cysts can disappear, and sometimes women get pregnant naturally from simple dietary changes. Everyone is different, but no matter what, preconception care is of the utmost importance when TTC.