Obesity puts both males and females at a higher risk of infertility

Obesity puts both males and females at a higher risk of infertility

Obesity puts both males and females at a higher risk of infertility. A survey showed that obese and overweight males had a higher likelihood of having non-functional sperms or a lower counter when compared with normal males. A BMI of 24 or lower is healthy; above 25 is considered overweight, and if it exceeds 30, one is obese.

In recent years obesity has increasingly become an issue in most countries across the globe. It is no longer a problem for developed nations. This rise in overweight issues has coincided with a drop in fertility worldwide, especially in the past five decades. One Dr. Sebastien Czernichow, a researcher from Ambroise Pare University Hospital, Paris, believes this is not coincidental.

Czernichow and the company compiled 14 previous surveys that had involved about 10,000 men. In normal males, 24% had a low sperm count, and 2.6 % had non-viable sperms. Overweight men had a rate of 25.6% with low sperm count and 4.7% with non-functional sperms. And obese males had 32.4% with low sperm count, and 6.9% had sperms that couldn’t fertilize.

This connection can be explained by the fact that fat tissue may change male hormones like testosterone to estrogen. Czernichow believes the more fat tissues a man has, the higher the levels of estrogen.

Leptin is a hormone that is also produced by fat cells, and it can undermine your sperm cells or the cells that manufacture them. The fatty tissue on the scrotum can also become too thick, thus increasing the temperature in your testes.

Studies that were done before this one had mixed results. It has made the subject to become quite controversial. Scientists agree that more research is necessary if the link is to be established without a doubt.

However, losing your beer gut may be the best decision if you want to improve your fertility. And if not for the sperms, do it for your overall health.