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Obesity and Menstrual Cycle

Have you ever wondered whether your menstrual cycle is affected by your overweight status? Are you obese and find that your monthly cycle is irregular with heavier than normal menstrual blood flows? Then I highly recommend that you read on and get insight into the relationship between your obesity and regular monthly cycles.

In order for you to comprehend how being overweight affects your regular menstrual cycle, you need to know what obesity means. You also need to understand the physiology and hormonal changes during your monthly cycle.

OBESITY AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE: A Brief Overview

Let us now see the biology of your menstrual cycle and what it means to be obese or overweight. Once you have an idea of what obesity and your monthly cycle is, you will be able to understand how they are interrelated.

Your monthly cycle, as a woman, is a natural change that occurs in your reproductive system. Your menstrual cycle is quite important as it facilitates the production of egg cells and prepares your uterus for pregnancy. In order for your body to prepare for a pregnancy, you need to have a normal cycle.

You may have heard about obesity. Have you ever stopped to think what exactly it means for you to be obese? Obesity is actually a medical condition. When you are obese, it means that you have excess body fat which results in negative implications on your overall health.

OBESITY AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE: The Hormonal Relationship

The connection between your obesity and the monthly cycle is based on disturbances in your hormonal balance. In case you are pregnant, there is a hormone released by your body known as estrogen. Estrogen release ensures that your uterus is comfortable and provides a favorable environment for your growing foetus.

When you are obese or overweight, your body has excess fat cells. In fat cells, basic cholesterol compounds get changed to a weak form of estrogen known as estrone. When you are obese, the amount of estrone produced by your excess fat cells in totality has an estrogenic effect on your reproductive system. In essence, this tricks your body into thinking that you are pregnant. During this time, you are not ovulating but your uterine wall continues to be lined with blood. Even when you do get your monthly periods, you will find that they are heavier than normal.

Conclusion

With a healthy and normal weight, you will be able to conceive and have a regular menstrual flow. If you are intent on getting pregnant or have a regular menstrual cycle again, even losing just 5% of your body fat can get you back on track. When you work out and exercise, you shed off excess fat cells. With fewer fat cells, the levels of the weak form of estrogen, estrone, will reduce. This means they will not affect your regular cycles.

So go ahead and signup for those fitness classes that you have been avoiding. In order to shed off your excess body fat, you need to exercise and workout regularly and more often. You will be able to have regular monthly cycles and normal pregnancies.

Tags: irregular Menstrual Cycle, Irregular Mensturation, Irregular Periods, Obesity, Obesity and Menstrual Cycle, Women Health