DRIVERS' HEALTH * UK - Obese men have less and poorer quality sperm

Fertility doctors advised obese men to lose weight if they want to start a family, after researchers linked a dramatic fall in sperm quality to rising bodyweight

Barcelona,Catalunya,ESP -The Guardian (UK), by Ian Sample -July 9, 2008: -- ... Obese men produced substantially less sperm than average and had higher levels of abnormalities, which can reduce a couple's chances of conceiving and increase their risk of miscarriage, the researchers said... Soaring rates of obesity have already led to a rise in female infertility. Last year the British Fertility Society advised clinics to put obese women on weight loss programmes before treating them, to improve their chances of getting pregnant... In the study, doctors examined patient records for 5,316 men attending Aberdeen Fertility Centre between 1990 and 2007 and identified 2,037 who had listed their body mass index, which measures a person's weight relative to their height. A healthy BMI ranges from 20 to 25, while a BMI above 30 is classed as clinically obese... Tests revealed that obese men produced 60% less seminal fluid than men with a healthy BMI, and had 40% higher levels of abnormal sperm. The average sperm concentrationand their ability to swim was similar for all of the men. Factors that might have affected the results, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, age and length of time without sex, were taken into account... Fertility clinics already advise men to wear loose underwear, because overheating reduces sperm counts. Previous studies of long-haul truck drivers and Italian taxi drives have found they have lower sperm counts than men who spend less time sitting down... (Photos from: 9news.com)