Can Obese Men Pass Obesity Trait to Their Children? Here's What This Study Says!

Obese men are not only risking their own health, but also the health of their future offspring.

According to a new study, children of obese men are more likely to suffer from obesity, as a man's weight affects the "hereditable information" contained in the sperm, which later on is passed to a conceived child, Science Daily reports.

The study, published in the journal, Cell Metabolism, cited that the sperm of obese men contains "epigenetic marks" that are different from those of lean men. Those differences are said to be found on regions or areas associated with control of appetite, thereby increasing the possibility of children of obese men to be obese as well.

"It is clear that these epigenetic changes happen in mice and rats, but we also need to know if this also happens in humans and whether this is a significant driver for changing our traits," Romain Barrès, senior author and an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said via Science Daily.

In order to reach this conclusion, the researchers examined and compared the sperm of 13 lean men and 10 obese men.

Although the researchers did not find any variation in the proteins that surround the DNA, they did, however, discover small differences in the RNAs and "methylation of genes," which are related to brain development as well as appetite.

Nonetheless, in order to identify if such variations were results of obesity or lifestyle, the researchers assessed the effects of bariatric surgery on sperm epigenetics.

In the report by Medical News Today (MNT), the researchers followed six men undergoing the surgery from which they observed 5,000 structural changes to the sperm cell before and 1 year later, leading them to the conclusion that weight is the factor that causes the variations.

"Our research could lead to changing behavior, particularly pre-conception behavior of the father. It is common knowledge that when a woman is pregnant she should take care of herself, not drink alcohol, stay away from pollutants, and so on; but if the implication of our study holds true, then recommendations should be directed towards men, too," Barrès said via MNT.

As described by Mayo Clinic, obesity is a "complex disorder" that increases one's risk to having weight-related health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years. It cited that the percentage of obese children aged 6-11 years old in the US has increased from 7 percent in 1980 to almost 18 percent by 2012. Meanwhile, the number of obese adolescents aged 12-19 has increased from five percent to 21 percent in the same period.