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BMI and infertility

Authoring team

Obesity

  • women who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or over should be informed that they are likely to take longer to conceive

  • women who have a BMI of 30 or over and who are not ovulating should be informed that losing weight is likely to increase their chance of conception

  • women should be informed that participating in a group programme involving exercise and dietary advice leads to more pregnancies than weight loss advice alone

  • men who have a BMI of 30 or over should be informed that they are likely to have reduced fertility

A review (12RCTs; n=1921) found moderate certainty that pre-IVF weight loss interventions were linked to increase in total pregnancy rates (risk ratio 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.44) and pregnancies resulting from unassisted conception (1.47; 1.26 to 1.73) (2)

Reference:

  1. NICE (August 2016).Fertility - Assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems
  2. Michalopoulou M et al. The Effect of Weight Loss Before In Vitro Fertilization on Reproductive Outcomes in Women With Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med.[Epub 12 August 2025].

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