JEDDAH, 10 March 2004 — Obesity can lead to infertility problems among women, a Belgian researcher has said. In fact, obesity and marriages between relatives have caused a number of health problems. And both are “increasingly” leading to problems of infertility.
While obesity may cause diabetes and heart diseases, marriages between relatives have resulted in the birth of abnormal infants.
Although obesity in itself is not always a fertility problem, it may be linked with irregular menstrual cycles and absent ovulation as a result of obesity-associated insulin resistance.
“It’s true that many women in the Middle East are obese and this is a negative factor. Smoking and pollution are among external factors that add to problems leading to infertility,” Dr. P. Devroey, professor of gynecology at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Brussels Free University, told Arab News at a presentation here.
“The time has come when not only childless couples need treatment but also those who have children born with abnormalities,” he said.
Dr. Devroey explained various techniques available to deal with infertility problems.
Dr. Samir Abbas hosted the presentation on behalf of Dr. Samir Abbas Medical Center.