Overweight, obesity, and fertility in newly married Palestinians: a prospective observational study

Obesity is an increasing concern for public health worldwide. Decreased reproductive capacity has been reported in women who were overweight or obese. Male obesity has been associated with sex-hormone changes and reduced semen quality. Large retrospective studies have associated a high male body-mass index (BMI) with reduced fertility, but the finding is debated. We investigated the affect of raised BMI in both sexes on fecundability (probability of conception in a menstrual cycle). In a prospective observational study we included all newly married couples in two villages in Hebron Governorate, occupied Palestinian territory, in 2005–07 who were planning their first pregnancy. Couples were followed up prospectively from marriage until pregnancy or for a maximum of 12 months. We classified BMI according to WHO criteria as underweight (BMI score