How Disordered Eating Affects Women’s Fertility

May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, but it’s also recognized as Women’s Health Month. In honor of both, we are shedding light on a topic that is not discussed nearly enough and covers both mental health and women’s health – the effect disordered eating has on the female body, and specifically how altering food intake and added stress can effect hormonal balance and fertility when an eating disorder is involved.

Twenty million women and 10 million men have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. These disorders have some well-known short-term consequences, but the lesser known issues are those that effect the long term. Fertility problems are among those potential long-term consequences. Studies show that eating disorders account for roughly 18 percent of patients seen in infertility clinics, according to Dr. Leslie A. Appiah, Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2016, US News/Health). Calorie restriction and low body fat - also known as adipose tissue - are among the two most common reasons why women with disordered eating habits lose their menstrual cycle and therefore quit ovulating (releasing an egg each month). This is because the brain signaled the body to stop producing certain hormones as a defense mechanism. The combination of the brain detecting that there's no longer enough food/energy stores, coupled with a significant rise in stress hormones due to decreased caloric intake (and often times increased physical activity), is how the brain alerts the body that it’s simply not healthy enough to sustain a pregnancy, therefore female hormone levels decrease. These hormones are essential for female fertility.

Hearing this news if you are someone that has lost your menstrual cycle or are fearful of how disordered eating will play a role in your fertility might be unsettling, however there is still hope. The best course of action in restoring fertility in women with an eating disorder is to treat the underlying eating disorder. In other words, taking in more calories, exercising less, and bringing the body weight/body fat percentage back up to a healthier level. This should lead to the return of ovulation, and the woman should be able to conceive normally, assuming there are no other underlying conditions. We are aware that the road to recovery from an eating disorder is not an easy one, but it is encouraging to know that if a female is able to recover then fertility issues related to disordered eating is not a burden you will always have to bear. It may take many months or even years to normalize your hormones and menstrual cycle, but in most cases, it does come back normally when the disordered eating is properly treated.

If this resonates, we always recommend psychological and nutritional counseling as a place to begin, however further treatment may be recommended depending on the severity of the eating disorder. Once it is under control, and if fertility or menstrual regularity is important to you, we encourage women to visit their fertility doctor or gynecologist to ensure hormone levels and ovulation patterns are normalizing. If you are looking for a place in the Knoxville area to begin this journey to recovery, Focus Integrative Centers is a place where you will be able to find both psychological and nutrition counseling. We have a team of psychologists, therapists, and registered dietitians trained specifically to deal with eating disorders and disordered eating. Please reach out to learn more.

Contributed by Kaitlyn Tucker, MS, RDN, LDN, Registered Dietitian

Reference: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-03-31/the-lasting-toll-of-an-eating-disorder-fertility-issues

 

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