A new study suggests that girls who are overweight or obese in childhood face significantly reduced fertility in adulthood and are less likely to become mothers compared with their healthy-weight peers. Researchers say excess weight during childhood appears to disrupt reproductive development, adding to a growing body of evidence linking early-life obesity to long-term health consequences, including hormonal and metabolic changes that can affect the reproductive system.

The findings highlight the wider impact of childhood obesity beyond commonly cited risks such as diabetes and heart disease, pointing instead to a lasting effect on women's chances of conceiving later in life. Researchers and health experts are using the results to reinforce calls for earlier interventions to tackle childhood weight, framing fertility as a further reason for concern alongside other established links between obesity and poor health outcomes.