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Medical and Surgical Treatment of Obesity to Improve Reproductive Health

Edited by:
Samantha Schon, MD, MTR, University of Michigan, United States of America

Submission Status: Closed


This Collection is no longer accepting submissions.


Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology is calling for submissions to our Collection on Medical and Surgical Treatment of Obesity to Improve Reproductive Health. Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease with a significant and complex impact on reproduction. Obesity is associated with anovulation, longer time to pregnancy, infertility, poorer fertility treatment outcomes, an increased risk of miscarriage, and poor maternal/fetal outcomes. Women with obesity are commonly encouraged to lose weight prior to pregnancy to modify their risks. Whether or not modest weight loss results in improved live birth rates among women with infertility is unclear especially among women of older reproductive age. Weight loss may, however, improve the metabolic profile of women prior to becoming pregnant. There are currently a number of weight loss options available including nutritional, pharmacological, and surgical interventions. Each of these approaches are associated with various degrees of weight loss and risk profiles. Newer GLP-1 and dual incretin agonists have revolutionized the obesity medicine field and medical weight loss. There is extremely limited data on the use of these medications among women who are planning pregnancy or with reproductive disorders associated with obesity such as PCOS.  

This collection calls for original basic, translational, and clinical studies evaluating the relationship between obesity, medical and surgical weight loss, and reproduction. Reviews on weight loss methodology and practical approaches to weight loss among reproductive-aged women are also encouraged.

Image credit: © New Africa / stock.adobe.com

New Content ItemThis collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good health and well-being.

  1. While the phenotypic link between body mass index (BMI) and some female reproductive disorders is well established, the genetic architecture and causal relationships have not been systematically studied. We ai...

    Authors: Huijing Shao, Chang Xu, Haoran Wang, Nan Lu, Hang Gu, Caihong Zhang, Lirong Li, Qianqian Sun, Rui Guan and Beibei Xuan
    Citation: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2025 23:71
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. The synergistic impact of isolate maternal hypothyroxinaemia (IMH) and other modulators on fetal growth outcomes is unknown. This study was aimed to determine whether third trimester IMH [free thyroxine level ...

    Authors: Bin Zhang, Sijie Xi, Zhaolong Zhan, Yinglu Zhang, Fengying Lu and Xiaosong Yuan
    Citation: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2025 23:60
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. While there is a recognised role of lifestyle (diet and physical activity) in management of infertility, there is limited research exploring the perspectives of people with infertility in relation to lifestyle...

    Authors: Sophia Torkel, Lisa Moran, Rui Wang, Anthony Villani, Evangeline Mantzioris, Robert J. Norman and Stephanie Cowan
    Citation: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2025 23:52
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), characterized by the loss of two or more pregnancies, impacts approximately 1–2% of couples and poses a significant challenge for individuals of childbearing age. The prec...

    Authors: Rui-Qi Wang, Zhi-Min Deng, Gan-Tao Chen, Fang-Fang Dai and Liang-Bin Xia
    Citation: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2025 23:10
    Content type: Review Published on:

  6. The impact of high body mass index (BMI) on embryo and pregnancy outcomes in women using the PPOS (progestin-primed ovarian stimulation) protocol during their first frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles is not c...

    Authors: Xi Shen, Menghui Li, Yunhan Nie, Jiqiang Si, Yali Liu, Tiantian Wang, Hongyuan Gao, Kaibo Lin and Li Wang
    Citation: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2024 22:124
    Content type: Research Published on:

Meet the Guest Editors

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Dr. Samantha Schon, MD, MTR, University of Michigan, United States

Samantha Schon MD, MTR is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Schon is board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility,  and Obesity Medicine. She also founded and directs the Michigan Interdisciplinary Clinic for Obesity and Reproduction at the University of Michigan. Dr. Schon’s clinical and research interests include the intersection of obesity and reproduction and how weight loss may modify obesity and adiposity-associated risks and alterations to the reproductive system.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original basic, translational, and clinical studies evaluating the relationship between obesity, medical and surgical weight loss, and reproduction. Reviews on weight loss methodology and practical approaches to weight loss among reproductive-aged women are also encouraged. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. 

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Medical and Surgical Treatment of Obesity to Improve Reproductive Health" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.