New research from Harvard claims that obese men have fewer chances to become a father as excess fat produces a chemical that converts testosterone into estrogen. Having this phenomenon would then cause more problems with conceiving, according to the paper.
Researchers note that every extra two inches on a man's waist slash his chances of having a baby by almost ten per cent.
"Pot-bellied men, beware," warns Professor Charles Kingsland, the clinical director of Care fertility clinics.
In the study, US doctors weighed and measured almost 180 couples individually before they started in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The authors concluded that a man whose waist faltered at 40 inches was a third less likely to become a father than a man with a trimmed 32-inch belly.
Beer bellies were especially problematic, as experts say they significantly reduced a man's chances of producing offspring by 46 per cent.
According to Dr. Jorge Chavarro, a researcher included in the study, flab stored around the middle gives out more harmful chemicals than other fat.
Furthermore, he added that the results of their study highlight reproduction as a team sport, focusing on men as having a role in conception as well.
Pot Belly Equals No Baby
Females are not the only ones with issues when it comes to reproductive health. Male infertility is to blame in half of the cases as it had been found that around one in seven couples had trouble conceiving because of it.
About two-thirds of adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. Statistics says an average man's waistline is now 38.2 inches, which is 1.5 inches bigger than it was in 1993.
Experts say that obese men are more likely to produce less sperm and to be impotent. Additionally, their sperm is also analyzed to be more inferior at propelling itself, and the DNA they contain could be damaged compared to men with normal weight.
Furthermore, Professor Sheena Lewis, a fertility expert at Queen's University Belfast, explains that aromatase, an enzyme made by fat, could turn testosterone into estrogen, the female sex hormone.
How to Get Rid of Your Beer Belly
According to Men's Health, a beer belly surrounds the liver, stomach and intestines. Rather than sitting there just flabby and passive, having a beer belly actually causes an imbalance to your hormones.
Furthermore, it raises your risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent this.
One way is to start your day with a high-fat breakfast. Consume the good kind of fat by loading up on avocados, eggs, and even sausages. Dieticians say it promotes metabolic plasticity, therefore, making you burn more belly fat for energy.
Another approach you could take is by adding fibre to your diet. According to research, a 10-gram increase in daily fibre could boost the gut's microbiome. Moreover, it is also associated with a 3.7 per cent decrease in visceral fat.
A way of increasing fibre into your diet is by adding two tablespoons of psyllium husks to your breakfast shake or cereal.
There are two types of fat; brown fat and white fat. Men's health also suggests burning white fat which is linked to unhealthy metabolism.
Brown fat, on the other hand, is thought to be more like muscle than white fat. When activated, brown fat burns white fat. Training in the cold could turn on brown fat, fueling your metabolism and burning off your beer belly.
