Obesity makes the Pill less effective, says study

Overweight women on the Pill dramatically increase their chances of getting pregnant, scientists revealed today.

A woman who is overweight or obese is 60 to 70 per cent more likely to conceive while taking an oral contraceptive than one who is slim.

The higher pregnancy risk may be linked to the way contraceptive drugs are processed in people with excess body fat.

Research leader Dr Victoria Holt, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said: "The results of our study represent yet another reason why obesity is a health hazard."