Obese men may have less semen, lower semen quality and may become infertile! Dr. Liu Boen: 3 tips for obese men to lose weight

Due to the impact of the declining birth rate, the Dragon Year effect of the past has been broken, and it is estimated that the number of newborns this year may be less than 130,000. In fact, the problem of infertility is becoming more and more serious. The number of births has been declining in recent years, and the number of couples with infertility problems who want to have children has increased significantly. Obesity specialist Dr. Liu Bowen said that in the past, when reproductive medicine was not very accurate, the older generation would always blame the girls. However, with the advancement of medicine, it has been discovered that many causes of infertility are closely related to boys as well.

Liu Boen, an obesity specialist, said that according to statistics from some academic groups, the infertility rate in Taiwan is as high as 10% to 15%. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 110-year statistics on the causes of infertility in artificial reproduction cases, the male factor accounts for 8.3% and the female factor accounts for 55.2%. And published in the International Journal of Obesity (Int J Obes (Lond)) in October 2024: It was found that the quality of human semen has a continuous downward trend, and one of the most important reasons is that it is negatively correlated with the obesity index (BMI)!

Obese men may have less semen and lower quality

A total of 71,337 cases were included in the collection of 5,070 articles. The control group was a BMI of less than 25.0 and the experimental group was a BMI of more than 30.0. It was found that the average semen volume of obese men decreased by 0.24 ml, the average total sperm count decreased by 19.56x10(6), the total motility decreased by 2.21, the progressive motility decreased by 5.95%, the sperm motility decreased by 1.08%, and the average semen volume of men decreased by 2.91%. The semen volume of overweight men decreased by 2.91%. The decline in semen quality among men with different degrees and types of obesity is more obvious than that among men with normal BMI. This is positively correlated with some research reports on male infertility.

For obese people who want to get pregnant, the proportion of egg whites can be increased to 30%, while the proportion of sugar can be reduced to 50%.

Obese men are prone to infertility, here are 3 tips for losing weight

For obese men with infertility problems, there are three main weight loss strategies:

1. Heat regulation:

Calorie regulation can increase the total proportion of protein. The three major dietary proportions of normal people during weight loss are sugar: protein: fat = 60%: 20%: 20%. For obese people who want to get pregnant, the proportion of eggs can be increased to 30% and the proportion of sugar can be reduced to 50%.

2. Adjust the exercise mode:

In addition to aerobic exercise, moderate strength training should also be added, with the ratio being approximately 70% aerobic exercise and 30% strength training.

3. Supplement trace elements:

In addition to a balanced diet formula, attention should be paid to the supplementation of some trace elements, such as zinc, manganese, selenium, etc. After all, in order to enhance sperm activity, sufficient "manufacturing raw materials" are also needed.

In addition to aerobic exercise, obese men should also incorporate moderate muscle strength training, with the ratio being approximately 70% aerobic exercise and 30% strength training.

Dr. Liu Bowen said that psychological adjustment is of course an important key. Many infertile people will be under varying degrees of pressure during the process of trying to "fail to have a baby." This invisible pressure will increase appetite, and people may even use excessive sweets to relieve stress, which will cause their weight to remain high. Therefore, regardless of whether you have the need to prepare for pregnancy or not, in the field of male medicine, there are many diseases that are closely related to obesity. Healthy weight management is the key to achieving happiness and well-being!