At the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France, the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, Dr Kyra Sim from The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders at the University of Sydney in Australia presented a new study, which shows that weight loss intervention in obese women who undergo fertility treatment substantially improves their chance of pregnancy and other health indicators, whilst also saving substantial costs per achieved pregnancy.
The study is the first to evaluate the economic value of the impact of women’s weight loss strategies on fertility treatment. The randomized controlled trial involved 49 women aged 37 years or younger, with an average BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2, who were in an assisted reproductive technology program.
The researchers randomized 27 women to a 12-week intervention, consisting of a very-low-energy diet for the first six weeks, after which the women went on a low-energy diet combined with a weekly group multidisciplinary program. The other 22 women in the control group received recommendations for weight loss and the same printed material. The researchers measured multiple parameters at baseline and at 12 weeks. Follow up was at 12 months to confirm whether a pregnancy had occurred.
The findings demonstrated the women in the intervention group registered an average weight loss of 6.6 kg, with a 9 cm waistline reduction compared with those in the control group who lost 1.8 kg on average with a 1 cm reduction in waist circumference. The results also showed that pregnancy rates were significantly improved amongst those in the intervention group with 48% compared to 14% in the control group.
The number of assisted reproductive cycles needed to become pregnant was also less amongst the intervention group, together with a decline in maternal and fetal risk factors. The researchers also noted that the intervention group showed metabolic, hormonal and psychological improvements. The intervention saved US$9360 (AU$9,035 – EUR€6,900 – GBP5865) per pregnancy.
Dr Sim states that the study highlights the significance of implementing a program of preconception weight management together with providing specific information about the maternal and fetal risks of obesity in pregnancy, and concludes:
“A weight-loss intervention, incorporating dietary, exercise and behavioral components, is associated with significantly better pregnancy and economic outcomes in a group of obese women undergoing assisted reproductive technology.”
Written By Petra Rattue