How does obesity impact male fertility ?

IVF specialists of the best IVF centre in Ghaziabad – Gunjan IVF World share valuable insights on obesity and male infertility

1 out of 8 couples find it difficult to become parents naturally and seek medical help. There could be various reasons attributed to a couple’s inability to start a family. Infertility tops the chart when it comes to the possible reasons. Infertility could be a result of an underlying medical condition, or unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity could be one of the factors responsible for infertility. It affects both men and women. Through this informative blog, the best IVF centre in Delhi – Gunjan IVF World tries to create awareness on obesity and its impact on male fertility.

“Infertility is a man’s problem too. Most men are unaware of that. Also, not many know that obesity or being overweight can come in the way of their dreams of fatherhood and also impact the health of the baby,” says Dr. Gunjan Gupta, Director & Founder, Gunjan IVF World – North India’s best IVF clinic and a leading IVF specialist Ghaziabad.

But before understanding how obesity impacts fertility, it is vital for patients to know what obesity is. It is a medical condition related to having too much body fat. Body Mass Index or BMI helps to measure body fat based on height and weight of a person. If the BMI of a person is measured to be 30.0 or more, he/she is said to be obese. Simply put, a man with a waist circumference of over 40 inches (102 centimeters) and a woman with a waist circumference of over 35 inches (89 centimeters) are considered obese. Both men and women are impacted by obesity. In men, it affects the production of sperm, quality, quantity & morphology of sperm while in women it affects the quality of eggs, hormone imbalances, etc.

“Studies reveal that overweight men are 11% more likely to produce lesser quantity of sperm compared to normal weight men and 39% more likely to produce no sperm at all. Men who are obese are 42% more likely produce lesser number of sperm and 81% more likely to have no sperm at all,” says Dr. Garima Sharma, Consultant and Centre In-Charge of the best IVF clinic in Janakpuri – Gunjan IVF World that has three more modern centres in Indiapuram, Meerut and Noida (commencing soon).

Let’s take a look at how obesity impacts male fertility.

Decrease in sperm count: “Hormone imbalances are very common in men who are overweight or obese. The male reproductive hormone testosterone which is responsible for spermatogenesis i.e. production and development of mature and healthy sperm gets hugely impacted with increasing body weight. Fat cells drastically reduce the levels of testosterone and produces leptin. Increase in body fat leads to rise of leptin levels and reduction of testosterone which eventually leads to lower sperm count,” states Dr. Aastha Raheja, Consultant of a leading IVF center in Ghaziabad – Gunjan IVF World.

Increases scrotal temperature: A precise environment is required for the
production and development of sperm cells. They require an optimum
temperature that is two to four degree less than the usual body temperature. “In
obese men, fat tissues of the thigh and groin area cause the temperature of the
testicles to rise which affects the quality and quantity of sperm,” added Dr. Anshu
Dhar, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World, a well-known IVF center in Indirapuram.

Affects sexual behaviour: Obesity reduces the interest in indulging in sexual
activities among overweight men. It also causes damage to the blood vessels
carrying blood to the male reproductive organ leading to erectile dysfunction.

Other impacts: Inflammation caused because of obesity can also damage sperm which can change the genes that are passed to the offspring.

Now that you know how obesity impacts fertility in men, it is important for you to take care of your body to able to fulfill your fatherhood dreams. All you need to do is shift to a healthy lifestyle, consume a nutritious & healthy diet, manage your weight and let Khushiyon ki Goonj knock your door,” concluded Dr. Gunjan Gupta, renowned IVF specialist of the best IVF center in Delhi.

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