Danish researchers have found that a man’s weight affects the information passed on through his sperm and could leave his children predisposed to obesity. 
Their study, according to the BBC, showed that the sperm cells of lean and obese men possess different epigenetic marks which could change the behaviour of genes.
Dr Romain Barres, 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. Barres said changes to the sperm were noticeable in the men a week after the surgery, and also one year on.
He said the sperm cell changes he recorded are linked to the genes known for appetite control and brain development.
And another study published earlier this year in Canada showed that men who had lost weight were more likely to have their partners conceive.
Dr Jean-Patrice Baillargeon, one of the researchers, said: “This is the first prospective study suggesting that male partners who improve their weight also increase the odds for the couple to conceive.”
He believes obesity could directly affect the sperm count, but may also affect the quality of sperm by subtly altering the DNA, the BBC reported.
Weight management is one of the success stories of hypnotherapy and the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) holds the largest directory of therapists across the UK, all highly-qualified and trained.
“Rather than just reducing calories that you are likely to put on again in the longer term, hypnosis gets you in touch with the reasons why you unconsciously eat,” says the NCH. “Losing weight with hypnosis is essentially about teaching you to feel good about yourself, whatever size you are. It focuses on making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle that will remain with you for the rest of your life.”
Too much weight, smoking and alcohol abuse are known to affect fertility rates for women but the recent studies show that men, too, need to watch these habits to maintain their fertility.
With obesity rates rising, it is advisable to embark on a weight control programme and just a few sessions of hypnotherapy can help bring about changes in eating habits which will improve health, fertility and a better outlook on life.