Man's weight affects sperm cells

A man's weight affects the information passed on through his sperm and could leave his children predisposed to obesity, research in Denmark suggests according to a report of BBC.

Dr Romain Barres, the author of the study, said: "When a woman is pregnant she should take care of herself. But if the implication of our study holds true, then recommendations should be directed towards men too."

Part of the research — which was carried out by the University of Copenhagen and published in the journal Cell Metabolism — tested the sperm of six obese men who were undergoing weight-loss surgery. It looked at the men's sperm before treatment, a week after the surgery and then for a third time a year later.

Dr Barres said changes to the sperm were noticeable in the men a week after the surgery, and also one year on. However, the sperm cell changes he recorded are linked to the genes known for appetite control and brain development.

He goes on to suggest that there are possible evolutionary reasons why information about a father's weight would be valuable to offspring. His theory is that during in times of abundance, it is an instinctive way to encourage children to eat more and grow bigger.