The impact of obesity on male fecundity: a Brazilian study

INTRODUCTION Obesity has become a major problem in most developed countries. Infertility ranks high among the issues brought by excessive weight gain, particularly as it may affect male sexual function. This study investigated a population of Brazilian infertile men in an attempt to establish a relationship between obesity and infertility. METHODS A total of 153 infertile men had their anthropometric data collected and were divided into groups according to their body mass index and waist circumference measurements. Sperm parameters including sperm count, concentration, morphology, and motility were compared. RESULTS Multivariate analysis failed to show a positive correlation between excessive weight gain or increased waist circumference, and sperm alterations in a population of infertile men. CONCLUSIONS The findings described in this study support the idea that there is no association between obesity and semen alterations in a population of infertile men.