Should obese women be allowed to get IVF?

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Nov 14th 2007 11:18AM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

In Britain, a debate is raging over In Vitro Fertilization and obese women -- namely, women who are severely obese (with a BMI of 35 or higher) are being denied the treatment until they slim down. The reason? Being obese reduces a woman's chance of conceiving and it also poses health risks to both the fetus and the mother should the woman become pregnant. This would mean, for instance, that a 5'7 woman who weighed 225 lbs would be turned away.

What do you think about this decision? Is it right for the government to decide who should be allowed to have kids? I don't think so, and we have to keep in mind that BMI is considered a slightly flawed measurement of how healthy someone's weight is. But at the same time, someone with a BMI of 35 or higher is usually very obese -- it's not down to her being just a bit fat. Should we be expending valuable resources on someone who is unhealthy?

(To calculate your BMI, click here)

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Comments (16)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

marie 11-14-2007 @ 6:19PM

You were an inch off my height (5'8") and right on my weight with your example, and I'm eight months pregnant and completely healthy. So is my son. Is it thus any surprise that I find this completely insulting? Generalizing in such a way is very prejudicial. My doctor has had absolutely NO concerns for my ability to take care of myself or my child while pregnant, because there has been no reason to do so. I've maintained very healthy levels in every sense throughout. Every person cannot be described by a number.

Martha Edwards 11-14-2007 @ 6:28PM

Hi Marie, I'm sorry if you find this insulting -- I'm just trying to present both sides of the story, and in no way did I mean to suggest that women with a BMI of 35 or higher would not be able to have a healthy pregnancy. And you're right -- not every body can be generalized based on numbers.

BBB 11-16-2007 @ 10:56AM

Should we be expending valuable resources on someone who is unhealthy?

Actually you had me until the last sentence. So how far do we take this?
I can see it now...Fat person at the hospital, 'turn them away can't waste our resources there".
Ah Hell...why don't we just save some money and kill all the fat people now!!!!
I think I am about ready to ditch AOL...

Elizabeth Sellers 11-16-2007 @ 2:53PM

"Should we be expending valuable resources on someone who is unhealthy?"---By whose standards? How do you know that weight alone makes one a good candidate to become a parent? How about mentally ill patients? If a woman wants a baby so badly, that she does years of invitro and fertility treatments, what's wrong with her? What price do we as a society have to pay for desperate people? How about women who miscarriage constantly? I bet that really drives up the prices.
By the way, I got pregnant naturally, although I was overweight at the time, went full term, and paid for my healthcare and delivery with no help from anyone, save the insurance that I had paid for for several years, and saved up days for reganancy leave at work. If I had not become preganant, I would have considered adoption, or perhaps, working in a community service capacity to fulfill my need to work with young lives. Of course, I am a teacher, and have been contibuting to young lives all of my working career.

AARON 11-16-2007 @ 5:07PM

IM 340 LBS OK THAT MEANS THEY WOULD CHARGE ME MORE RIGHT?
WELL WHAT ABOUT THE WOMAN THREE ROWS AHEAD OF ME SHE WEIGHS IN AT 100 LBS AND HER KID WHO WEIGHTS IN AT 50LBS BUT THEY DONT GET A DISCOUNT FOR BEING SMALL?
TAKE THE LAW OF ADVERAGES SOME ARE SMALL SOME ARE BIG BUT ADD THEM ALL UP AND DO THE MATH YOU GET THE ADVERAGE WEIGHT.
SO THINK THAT ITS WRONG OF THE AIR LINES TO DO THIS
THANKS

Martha Edwards 11-16-2007 @ 11:02AM

Hi BBB and Elizabeth, I'm on your side -- I was trying to present both sides of the story. There's no doubt that if it was down to a matter of life and death that a person's weight wouldn't matter when it came to receiving, but IVF is not a life-saving procedure, so I suppose doctors can pick and choose who they see fit to receive the treatment, especially when it's being paid for by health insurance. But I don't think it's right -- every woman should be allowed the chance to have a baby, regardless of their size.

D 11-18-2007 @ 3:44PM

Good God Almighty! Is everyday going crazy these days? What are they thinking in Britain?? Sounds like Nazi Germany to me! I have known many fat women, yes, I used the word "fat" because it is not a bad word to some of us.
Anyhooooo.....many "fat women" have had healthy normal pregnancies AND children....myself being one. This is just too ridiculous. If something isn't done about "fatphobia", we're going to see a lot of foolishness carried out in the name of science and government.

nikkicookers 11-19-2007 @ 12:35PM

This is ridiculous and oppressive. The government should not at all be allowed to regulate having kids. What's next? Saying that ugly people can't have kids? Also, I like how you pointed out that BMI is VERY flawed. Nothing more than a guestimate.

nikki
nikkicookers@aol.com
http://www.fitconnect.com "fitness social networking"

MELISSA 11-20-2007 @ 7:53PM

I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THIS ONE. I THOUGHT THE WHOLE PLANE THING WAS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER READ, BUT THEN PEOPLE WILL SURPRISE YOU. COME ON YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. TURNED AWAY FROM HAVING A CHILD BECAUSE THE DOCTOR SAYS YOUR TOO FAT. IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT AND YOU KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN THEN IS IT NOT UP TO YOU?? I MEAN IT IS A FREE COUNTRY RIGHT. IT IS YOUR CHOICE. AND THE BS THAT FAT PEOPLE ARENT HEALTHY ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF A CHILD IS JUST BS. I WAS OVER WEIGHT WHEN I HAD MY SON. BOTH OF US WERE HEALTHY THE WHOLE TIME WITH NO PROBLEMS. I THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS JUST STUCK ON THIS WHOLE FAT PEOPLE BAD CAMPAIGN AND THEY ARE TRYING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SCARE THE OVER WEIGHT. IF WE TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THEM THEN MAYBE THEY WILL BE LIKE THE REST OF US. MAYBE SOME OF US DONT WANT TO BE THE LITTLE BONEY PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND.
AND THE COMMENT ON "EXPENDING VALUABLE RESOURCES ON SOMEONE WHO IS UNHEALTHY". AGAIN ARE YOU PAYING FOR IT?? DONT THINK SO. AS LONG AS THE OVERWEIGHT WOMEN IS PAYING FOR IT WHY SHOULD IT MATTER?????

michelle 12-19-2007 @ 8:05PM

This nuts. I appreciate that you are bringing both sides of the argument, I'm not killing the messenger here.
But I must say, being someone who works in child services and deals with abuse victims, this is so wrong. It is prejudice. What if someone was turned away becuase they have a different skin color, it is the same principle.
What makes me so mad about what they are proposing here is that there are familes desperate to have babies, thin, fat, whatever. On the other hand there are fat thin /pink, purple, white, brown, whatever, that abuse their children too.
What I want to know is what happens if an anorexic woman wanted to have a child? How is that healthy? I really don't think they can dictate who can and can't have babies. If they ahve the $$ why not allow them to do what they want.
To be honest, I woudl have thought a country that is trying to keep the count down for the population woudl do this like China, for example. I'm just glad i don't live across the pond. I'm glad I live in the good ole USA. I just feel sorry for those over there that might have to deal with this.

Jane 12-12-2007 @ 10:07PM

"Should we be expending valuable resources on someone who is unhealthy?"

I'm not sure how that's possible when the woman and her partner are responsible for the costs. No valuable resources would be used, only that which they can pay for. And like you said, the BMI is flawed. They can advise the woman to lose weight to increase her chances, but this is discrimination.

Jane 12-12-2007 @ 10:13PM

Martha I also wanted to add that your obvious disgust and prejudice towards overweight people is so obvious. Why don't you just state you hate the fat unhealthy freaks and then stop pretending you're reporting on "health" issues involving weight. This is certainly not the first time you've shown disrespect towards the overweight.

Mo 12-12-2007 @ 10:11PM

One thing that is being left out in this discussion is that most obese women that are getting IVF are women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) that do not ovulate normally. Their hormones are out of whack and do not have a monthly cycle. The hormonal imbalance causes higher testosterone in women and makes it VERY difficult to lose weight. I would NEVER deny a woman or man their right to have a child.

alex 12-12-2007 @ 10:46PM

ok. being fat is not like being gay, a woman or black--get real people, being overweight means joining a largely chosen "minority class". in the vast majority of cases people are making a series of mostly poor choices regarding their health, and planting an embryo in an already hostile environment is a recipe for potential issues. this doesn't mean fat people are bad--but seriously, when the health of a new born is on the line, why purposefully seek risk?

Faith 12-13-2007 @ 2:02AM

I'm a 5'6", 230 pound vegan non-smoker who exercises five days a week. I'm healthy (according to my physician)
fit, and, yes, I'm FAT! I had IVF and produced twins after the first round. I'm discriminated against for being fat all of the time. It is socially acceptable to make fat people the butt (so to speak) of jokes, judge them as being unhealthy, undisciplined, unattractive and it's wrong. I'm fairly certain though that as long as a fat person has a fat wallet to match, they will be able to find a fertility clinic or doctor willing to treat them so I very much doubt this will ever become much of an issue!!

Terry 1-04-2008 @ 4:11PM

I think it's wrong to say who should & shouldn't have a child based upon fat or skinny. That's just 1 more thing to say your too ugly to love another person that grew inside of you. I wish that people would stop being so hurtful with words. Just because you don't look a certain way or dress a certain way or you don't have money, a good house or something like that then you can't have any children. Well let me say this I'm heavy & have children & thery're loved. I'm not pretty,rich don't live in a mansion but my kids knows they are loved. That's all that matters as long as they are taken care of & loved.
Thank-you for allowing me to vent on this subject.