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Once you overcome an eating disorder, you may believe that your body will revert to a normal status. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Eating disorders can have a long-term impact on the body. One long-term consequence of a severe eating disorder is that it can permanently alter the menstrual cycle. In some instances, this can lead to sterility.

Many people develop eating disorders when their obsession to become thin overtakes their life. In most cases, about 90% of the time, the sufferer of an eating disorder is a woman. When a woman suffers from an eating disorder such as Anorexia or Bulimia, which can result in drastic weight loss, the woman is at risk of developing menstrual irregularities. As their condition progresses and their weight decreases, it is common for the menstrual cycle to become irregular or to cease altogether (a condition called amenorrhea), as the body attempts to conserve resources. In most cases, once the individual recommences eating in a normal manner and begins to regain loss body fat, the menstrual cycle will return to normal.

• However, if the cycle has been 'turned off' for too long, the result may be permanent sterility. This sterility develops because the body loses the ability to produce those hormones needed to induce ovulation.

• If you have had a past eating disorder and you are experiencing infertility problems, let your doctor know that you have had an eating disorder in the past. This can help your doctor to diagnose your problem and hopefully correct it.

Long term, severe eating disorders may also lead to nutritional deficiency that may take a long time to overcome. These deficiencies may also impede conception. As with most menstrual irregularities induced by the eating disorder, these nutritional deficiencies can be overcome with time and a proper diet. Your doctor may recommend that you take dietary supplements in order to speed your body's recovery.

Menstrual irregularities, and consequently, infertility may also arise from eating disorders, such as binge eating, that results in the individual gaining too much weight. When they return to a normal weight, their menstrual cycle usually returns to a normal state.

• Obesity in adolescents also has a long-term impact on fertility, as it can impede the development of a normal menstrual cycle.

The number one means of overcoming eating disorder induced infertility is time, and a proper diet. Once a woman defeats her disorder and begins to regain needed weight, the menstrual cycle will usually return to normal. How long this may take will depend upon a number of factors including age, how long the woman was under weight, and general health. Depending upon the circumstance, the return of a normal cycle may take merely a matter of months, or in some instances several years.

• If the cycle does not return to normal, or if the woman is impatient and does not wish to wait to see if the cycle will return to normal on their own, they can be given hormone injections which will induce ovulation.
• If there are no other factors that are contributing to the infertility, induced ovulation is usually all that is necessary to overcome the infertility.

Once pregnancy is achieved, a past eating disorder may still haunt a woman. She may unintentionally neglect to eat sufficient amounts of food to carry the pregnancy due to unresolved issues remaining over the past disorder.

• It may be useful to seek the advice of a counselor to help you overcome any lingering food and body issues.
• Pregnancy related depression might cause the resurgence of old problems. If you find yourself returning to old eating patterns, seek help immediately. If you do not eat properly during your pregnancy, you will not only place your own health in jeopardy, but your baby's as well.