AACE MENA 2025-Approaching Weight Management in Women of Childbearing Age

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker discusses obesity management in women of childbearing age, highlighting obesity's high prevalence and significant impact on reproductive health, including infertility, pregnancy complications, and adverse outcomes for offspring. Obesity disrupts hormonal balance and worsens conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome. Weight reduction improves fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and IVF success rates. Management requires a tailored, multifaceted approach including behavioral changes, medications, and surgery. Bariatric surgery is highly effective but underutilized due to various barriers; it improves ovulation and reduces diabetes risk but requires delayed pregnancy planning. Newer GLP-1-based medications show promise preconceptionally but must be discontinued before pregnancy due to unknown fetal effects and risk of weight regain. Metformin may help in weight maintenance and glucose control but has unclear long-term effects on offspring. The speaker emphasizes comprehensive assessment beyond BMI, patient-centered care, and the necessity of contraception counseling during preconception pharmacotherapy. Overall, individualized, multidisciplinary strategies are essential for managing obesity to enhance reproductive health in this population.

Keywords

obesity management

women of childbearing age

reproductive health

bariatric surgery

GLP-1 medications

multidisciplinary approach