Overweight fathers could pass on 'fat gene' to their children through sperm, research reveals

Weight problem: fat fathers could be making their children overweight
Rex
Rachel Blundy3 December 2015

Overweight fathers could be passing on a 'fat gene' to their children through their sperm, news research suggests.

Scientists discovered the link when examining the sperm of lean and obese men, as well as those undergoing weight-loss surgery.

A host of "epigenetic" alterations - heritable chemical changes that can switch genes on or off - were found that differed between the three groups.

Their exact effects are unknown, but in many cases they impact on regions of DNA linked to the control of appetite.

Scientists believe this could be one explanation for why children of obese fathers are also vulnerable to being overweight.

Lead scientist Dr Roman Barres, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said: "Our research could lead to changing behaviour, particularly pre-conception behaviour of the father.

"It's common knowledge that when a woman is pregnant she should take care of herself - not drink alcohol, stay away from pollutants, etc - but if the implication of our study holds true, then recommendations should be directed towards men, too."

The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, saw scientists studying six men before, during, and a year after gastric by-pass surgery to help them lose weight.

They found an average of 5,000 changes affecting sperm cell DNA.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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