Future fathers need to fight overweight
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Experts urge future dads to get rid of excess weight before conception of the child.
A new study of scientists from Melbourne showed that the reproductive capacity of the father may be significantly affected by obesity or even extra pounds.
This can affect the quality of sperm, the course of pregnancy and cause changes in the placenta. In addition, the obese men are less likely to ever become a father.
Usually, the risk related to the health of the child was associated with the excess weight of the mother, while the fathers remained out of work.
Specialists from the University of Melbourne are concerned about this public opinion and urge future fathers to reconsider their views on conception and pregnancy.
The World Health Organization brings disappointing figures - 75% of the male population of Australia have problems with obesity. These figures are significantly higher than the global total, which is 48%.
The results of the study were presented at the annual scientific conference of the Endocrinology Council of Australia and the Council for Reproductive Biology, which was held from 26 to 29 August 2012.
The authors of the study are Professor David Gardner, Dr. Natalie Hannan and post-graduate student Natalie Binder.
"In Australia, many people with a similar problem. The number of men of reproductive age, obese, has more than tripled over the past decade, "says Professor Gardner. - Many people do not understand what responsibility falls on their shoulders. They simply have to monitor their health if they decide to give a new life, because this is our main mission. "
In the course of the study, scientists turned to in vitro fertilization (an auxiliary reproductive technology used in case of infertility). By using this technology in animals, scientists have been able to establish a connection between paternal obesity and fetal development.
Specialists received embryos from a male mouse with normal weight and a male, who was previously "planted" on a fast food diet, which lasted ten weeks.
"We found delays in embryo development from a" fat "donor. In addition, the rate of implantation of the embryo into the uterus and development of the fetus decreased by 15% compared to the embryo, whose donor did not suffer from obesity, "says Natalie Binder. - This proves that paternal obesity not only negatively affects the development of the embryo, but also complicates the procedure of its implantation into the uterus. In addition, problems with excess weight of men pose a threat to the normal development and health of future offspring. "
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