Fat and Infertile: New Study Raises Alarm Over Link Between Obesity and Low Sperm Count

Boys who are overweight in their adolescence face a higher risk of fertility issues later in adulthood, according to a new study in the European Journal of Endocrinology.

In April, a team of Italian researchers published their findings on a study of 268 children and adolescents between the ages of roughly 2 to 18. Scientists examined the relationship between weight, testicular volume, and insulin resistance. Male minors who were overweight or obese, they found, had lower testicular volume (TV), which is associated with lower sperm count.

“Childhood and adolescence represent an important time widow for testicular development,” researchers reported. “Therefore, these phases should be considered a critical moment for the prevention of andrological diseases that may arise later in life.”

The team concluded that “children and adolescents with overweight/obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance have lower TVs than their age-matched controls.” In other words, children and adolescents with excess weight and an abnormal insulin response were found to have lower testicular volume and thus likely lower sperm production.

The study’s findings contribute to the overwhelming research that points to obesity as the root cause of the West’s health crisis. Falling testosterone levels, a primary hormone for metabolic function, might even be a primary driver behind obesity in men today. Male testosterone levels have plummeted by double digits since the 1980s and remain in steep decline as endocrine-disrupting chemicals saturate the environment. (Read more from “Fat and Infertile: New Study Raises Alarm Over Link Between Obesity and Low Sperm Count” HERE)

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