Australia is currently ranked as one of the fattest nations in the world. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that a staggering 15 million (63%) Australians are overweight (BMI>25, 8.5 million) or obese (BMI>30, 6.5 million), and that the biggest increases are being seen in the morbidly obese class (BMI>40). Obesity is a known risk factor for debilitating diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
More recently the impact on younger people of reproductive age has become evident, with an increased prevalence of obesity coinciding with a decrease in fertility and increased reliance on assisted reproductive technologies (Fig. 1).
It is well-accepted that a woman’s lifestyle affects her fertility, with obesity just as detrimental as smoking and alcohol consumption. It is also becoming clear that obesity impairs a man’s fertility. Couples who have at least one overweight...
