Obesity linked to male infertility

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A 20 pound increase in weight leads to a ten per cent increase in male infertility.
Infertility affects around couple in six and the causes are diverse. A team at the US National Institute of Environmental Health now reveals that obesity can be one factor in male infertility. We already know that obesity in women can cause them to be infertile. These new findings come from a survey of nearly 1,500 farmers and their wives.

The participants were divided into fertile and infertile groups. In this context, infertility meant taking more than a year to conceive. This applied to 28 per cent of the couples. The researchers found that obesity was clearly a factor - with obese men having double the risk of infertility. This was true regardless of a man's age. It is possible that male obesity leads to less sexual intercourse and less opportunity for conception. But male obesity may cause poorer quality semen and hormonal differences and this may also result in infertility.

Source
Epidemiology September 2006

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