Source: wftv.com
POSTED: 4:08 pm EDT August 31, 2006
Men who don't watch their weight may find it harder to have children, according to a study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
"The data suggest that a 20-pound increase in men's weight may increase the chance of infertility by about 10 percent," said paper author Markku Sallmen
The reseach was based on a study of couples involved in a long-term look at agricultural communities. In the study group, 28 percent of the married couples experienced infertility.
The authors said that, after controlling for other factors, they found that men with an increased body-mass index could double their chances of problems.
"This study provides data on some additional health problems associated with obesity," said Dr. David A. Schwartz, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. "Preventing obesity can help improve men's overall health, perhaps even their reproductive health."
The researchers did not have data on frequency of sexual intercourse, so they could not rule out that the overweight men just have fewer opportunities to impregnate their partners.
Previous studies have found that overweight women have more trouble getting pregnant.
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