Obesity may influence female reproduction through a variety of mechanisms including: suppressing ovulation; inhibiting ovarian follicular development; and altering endometrial development and implantation. In males, obesity may impair reproductive function by several mechanisms including: decreasing libido, causing erectile dysfunction, influencing semen composition, or sperm function. Therefore the long term goal of the current project is to understand the impact of severe obesity on reproductive function and how this is influenced by dramatic weight loss.