Obese women who are facing infertility issues can now increase their chances of pregnancy by making few lifestyle changes, reveals a new study. The study, presented virtually at ENDO 2021, showed that the lifestyle intervention, called the Fit-For-Fertility (FFF) program, is a cost-effective alternative to the usual standard of care for women with obesity seeking fertility treatments.
‘Fit-For-Fertility (FFF) program can significantly improve the pregnancy rate and is a cost-effective alternative for obese, infertile women.’
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"Our study shows that the FFF program can significantly improve the pregnancy rate, especially the spontaneous pregnancy rate when no fertility treatments are required, as well as the live-birth rate," said lead researcher Matea Belan from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada. Lifestyle changes and a moderate weight loss of 5 percent to 10 percent of a woman's initial weight have been shown to improve the odds of a pregnancy in women with obesity and infertility, the researcher said.
For the study, the researchers recruited 130 women receiving treatment at a fertility clinic, and randomly divided them into two groups.
The first group had access to the Fit-For-Fertility program alone for the first six months of their participation, and in combination with fertility treatments if no pregnancy occurred after six months.
The program included individual sessions with a nutritionist and a kinesiologist every six weeks. Women in the FFF group were also asked to follow at least once each one of the 12 group sessions, which included a 45-minute workshop on topics regarding nutrition, lifestyle changes and lifestyle habits, followed by a 45-minute session of initiation to different types of physical activity, including walking, circuit training, step workout and others.
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Of the 108 women who completed at least six months of the study, or became pregnant during the first six months, the FFF program generated a difference of 14.2 percent points in the live-birth rate (51 percent for the FFF group and 36.8 percent for the control group).
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Source-IANS