I had posted on this January 3rd 2008:  Adipose tissue hangs on to 
progesterone from this study I read:  This is just an excerpt.

 The population subgroups with the highest proportion of 
overweight and obese women often are characterized by the lowest rates of 
initiation and shortest durations of breastfeeding. We previously documented 
that these 2 population-level trends may be related. In a population of white 
women who lived in a rural area, we observed that prepregnant overweight 
and obesity were associated with failure to initiate and also to sustain 
lactation. The means by which being overweight or obese negatively affect 
lactational performance is unknown and likely to be multifactorial in origin, 
including the simple mechanical difficulties of latching on and proper 
positioning of the infant. In addition, we have shown that prepregnant body 
mass index (BMI) is negatively associated with the timing of lactogenesis II, 
the onset of copious milk secretion. Although the effects of obesity on the 
prolactin response to infant suckling have never been studied, we postulated 
that maternal obesity could compromise this important response. We proposed 
that this might occur because obesity alters the 24-hour spontaneous release 
of prolactin and also because prolactin secretion is blunted in response to 
various stimuli among obese subjects. The fall in progesterone concentration 
that occurs immediately postpartum is the trigger for the onset of copious milk 
secretion, but maintenance of prolactin and cortisol concentrations is 
necessary for this trigger to be effective. Adipose tissue concentrates 
progesterone. We proposed that this additional source of progesterone would 
lead to consistently higher progesterone concentrations among obese 
compared with normal-weight women. This, in turn, would lead to a delay in 
reaching the appropriate concentration to trigger the onset of lactogenesis II. 

This wasn't the best study in the world, but does tend to indicate if true that 
adipose tissue holds onto progesterone.  The progesterone then has an effect 
on prolactin and lactogenesis II .  Maybe one reason slender women have 
a "normal" supply of milk, but we are mistaking it for an overabundant supply?
Just a thought.
robin

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