‘Excessive weight loss can affect women’s ability to conceive’

New Delhi, July 15: If you are a woman obsessed with having rail-thin figures like fashion models and cine celebrities, take a pause, as it can cost you the ability to become a mother.

Experts warn that gymming and dieting more than one’s capacity in a bid to have a size-zero figure can affect the menstrual cycle among females up to the extent of complete loss of periods and ability to become pregnant.

“Possibilities of premature delivery, birth of low-weight babies and malnourishment are much prevalent in such women, even if they conceive after medical treatment,” Jyoti Sharma, gynaecologist, Umkal hospital said.

“Women doing extra gymming and dieting can suffer from Amenoria (Abnormal Menstruation) and loss of libido due to suppression of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and other secondary sex hormones in brain,” says gynaecologist and infertility specialist Dr Shibani Sachdev Gaur.

The medics also warn against the pills taken by several women for sudden weight reduction. “Most of the pills, even in the guise of herbal formulations, contain certain amount of oestrogen similar to contraceptive pills which restrict pregnancy”.

In acute cases, ovaries stop producing eggs that means complete loss of one’s ability to conceive,” adds Dr Gaur citing the example of one of her patients who was losing weight to become an air hostess.

Gaur said, “even though her menstrual cycle resumed, the lady is still undergoing treatment for irregular periods for more than seven years”.

“Too much physical work can suppress the Hypothelemo pituitary axis responsible for the release of sex hormones.

When the hormones are unable to send signal to ovaries, the release of oestrogen get disturbed,” she reasons.

Beside Amenoria, another threat for skin-slim obsessed girls is anorexia, which leads to osteoporosis.

“Now-a-days, teens are getting bones like 80-year old.

Deficiency of nutrition due to restricted diet weakens bones to such extent that it cause fracture and death”, Dr Gaur says.

“Anorexia Nervosa which is caused due to abnormal intake of food affects all organs including bones, brains and glands, agrees Dr Jyoti who suggests Liposuction -- a less harmful method of weight loss -- but prefers only Yoga and moderate exercises.

Fashion models, however, disagree that being thin and super slim are in for the glamour world.

“It’s all myth that models are anorexic. What modelling requires is that one should be toned. It’s always good to be healthy and fit,” says model Anousha.

Quick-fix artificial methods of weight loss are also not preferable for models.

“Fitness depends upon one’s body type- some people are genetically blessed, some can remain fit by a little bit of swimming and some people have to go to gym,” she says.