Obesity in Men Brings about Infertility

According to a research conducted by experts at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, obese men are more likely to become infertile than their slimmer counterparts. If overweight and obese women have already been found to encounter more problems when it comes to conceiving a baby, it seems that the same applies also to men. The results of the research are published in the Epidemiology journal.

Donna Baird, Ph.D., an NIEHS epidemiologist involved in the study pointed out: "Women who are overweight or obese tend to have a more difficult time becoming pregnant than normal-weight women, but whether men who are overweight or obese also have fertility problems had not been studied."

Results of the study showed that overweight or obese men with BMIs (body mass index) higher than normal were twice as likely to experience fertility problems as normal-weight men. Also, this does not involve only one group of age, such as young or older males. Obesity may bring about infertility both in young, middle-aged or elder men.

"The data suggest that a 20-pound increase in men's weight may increase the chance of infertility by about 10 percent," informed Markku Sallmen, lead author of the study.

Another important finding of the study was that overweight and obese men have less sexual intercourses than their slimmer fellows. This may have also influenced the results of the study, taking into account the fact that all men involved in the study were supposed to try for a baby with their female partners. In conclusion, if obese men have sex rarer than their slimmer counterparts, then they have more reduced chances to impregnate their women.

"This study provides data on some additional health problems associated with obesity. Preventing obesity can help improve men's overall health, perhaps even their reproductive health," pointed out said David A. Schwartz, M.D., director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.