Eating Disorder And Its Impact On Ovulation

If you are trying to get pregnant and think you may have an eating disorder, it is essential to seek professional help to get the required guidance and increase your chances of conception

Eating disorders are mental health conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits and an obsession with body weight and body shape. While eating disorders are most prevalent among young women, they can affect people of any gender at any age. According to reports, 13 per cent of people experience at least one eating disorder by the age 20.

Eating disorders are most commonly caused by genetics. People with personality traits like neuroticism, perfectionism, and impulsivity are often at high risk of eating disorders. Other causes include cultural preferences for thinness, unrealistic beauty standards promoted by the media, and perceived pressures to be skinny. Experts suggest that serotonin and dopamine levels also play a role in the development of eating disorders.

It is essential to know the signs and symptoms of eating disorders because they can cause serious health consequences and may even be fatal if left untreated. These symptoms include severe food binges, food restriction, and purging behaviours like vomiting or over-exercising.

Types of eating disorder

The three most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

• Anorexia Nervosa- It is one of the most well-known eating disorders. In this condition, a person doesn't allow oneself to eat normally by maintaining an extremely low-calorie diet and severely restricting calories to lose weight or maintain abnormally low body weight. People with anorexia consider themselves overweight even if they are alarmingly underweight. BMI is usually used to determine the severity of anorexia. Someone with a BMI of 15 is said to have severe anorexia, while someone with a BMI of 17 has mild anorexia. People with anorexia also do self-induced vomiting, take laxatives, or engage in excessive exercise.
• Bulimia Nervosa- Unlike anorexia, people with bulimia are commonly normal-weight or overweight, while some may be underweight. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder that consists of recurrent binging episodes and an urge to frequently eat large amounts of food until the person becomes painfully full. When a person has bulimia, they cannot control how much they are eating. This causes most people to think of self-induced vomiting, enemas, laxatives, excessive exercise, or periods of restricted dieting or fasting to make up for the 'binging'.
• Binge eating disorder- Binge eating disorders usually have symptoms similar to bulimia. People with this disorder typically consume enormous amounts of food in short periods and lose control during binges. These people do not restrict calories or compensate for their binges by purging behaviours, such as vomiting or excessive exercise. Binge eating disorders cause obesity, furthering the risk of other medical conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Impact of eating disorder on ovulation

Various studies suggest that eating disorders can negatively impact fertility. An essential step in getting pregnant is ovulation. Ovulation is the process of release of a matured egg from the ovary. After the release the egg moves to the fallopian tubes and stays there where it gets fertilized by the sperm, thus resulting in conception. Pregnancy is not possible without ovulation. So, how does an eating disorder impact ovulation?

It is important to remember that everything in the human body is connected. A person's food habits will determine their calorie intake. Calorie intakes influence other bodily functions including reproductive functions such as ovulation

Eating disorders result in extreme weight loss or weight gain. These fluctuations in weight result in irregular menstruation and ovulation. The hormones required for ovulation are impacted when you have an eating disorder.

Having symptoms like amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) and oligomenorrhea (irregular periods) can be signs that your ovulation has been impacted due to the eating disorder. Extreme weight gain can also lead to disorders like PCOS which will again impact your fertility

Takeaways

Eating disorders are mentally and physically challenging in themselves, but the pressure of conceiving can exacerbate the hardships. If you are trying to get pregnant and think you may have an eating disorder, it is essential to seek professional help to get the required guidance and increase your chances of conception. Eating disorders, like any other issue, can be treated. Conceiving with an eating disorder may be difficult, but with proper treatment and support from your doctor it is possible. When planning a pregnancy inform your doctor about your condition and get the required assistance.

The article is contributed by Dr. Thejaswini J, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospitals, Electronic City, Bangalore.