Weight and fertility are intrinsically linked. Being an unhealthy weight can affect a woman’s fertility by causing hormonal imbalances, interfering with ovulation, affecting her menstrual cycle and the quality of her eggs. Being overweight can also reduce the quality of a man’s sperm and cause erection problems. It can also affect men’s and women’s libido.  If either is overweight, it can take longer to conceive.

When women ask what they can do to improve their chances of becoming pregnant, Dr.Ryu’s answer is clear. Whether they are trying natural conception or starting assisted reproduction, getting the body weight and composition as close to the normal range as possible will improve their chances – not only of getting pregnant but of having a safe and healthy pregnancy.

18% of pregnant women suffer gestational diabetes with consequences on the foetal development. Excess weight and excess blood sugar programme the foetus to be susceptible to developing the metabolic disorder in the future. The environment surrounding the foetus during its developmental phase plays a seminal role in determining its disease risk during the later stages. This is called foetal programming. Recent studies have shown that paternal environmental or nutritional factors affect the phenotype of the offspring as well. Both the maternal and paternal environmental factors act on the phenotype of the offspring via epigenetic modification of its genome. Couples determined to have a baby are encouraged to lose weight together.

Our approach

Studies have shown that losing as little as 5% of body weight can dramatically improve the chances of pregnancy.  Dropping 5 to 10% of body weight would give a myriad of health benefits across the body that no medicine on earth can replicate.

We know how our patients take weight loss seriously, as do we and we have done so for the last 15 years helping close to 1,000 patients achieve their goals with our weight loss programmes, originally developed in Korea.

Our scientific approach and treatment principles are outlined in a separate article here.

Our programme, covering an average of 12 weeks, takes the following form:

Our weight loss programme aligns itself with general health improvement and clearly differentiate itself from fad diets and starvation methods. Our programme is aimed at improving metabolic health in the long term.  Positive changes are reflected in blood test results. Not only is there a reduction in size but prediabetes/diabetes condition can be reversed, inflammatory markers improved, and all disease risk factors lowered. Regaining optimal body composition is the most powerful anti-ageing method in rejuvenating cellular level.

Dr.Ryu’s Articles on weight issues:

Zero in on the fertility zone! 

Belly Fat, the enemy of manhood

General considerations for weight loss