Dr Okezie Emenike, an Abuja based physician, said on Saturday that being over weight or under weight could cause infertility.
Emenike told the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that it was important to understand that both underweight and overweight women and men suffered from a higher incidence of infertility.
He added that severe obesity in men had been shown to alter fertility often due to imbalances in hormone regulation tied to sperm production.
He also noted that in many cases, overweight or underweight women would have hormonal disorders, which could cause them to ovulate infrequently or not at all.
“Being underweight or overweight can have negative effects on a man’s sperm, and it can kill a couple’s sex life because weight problems can affect a man’s libido and performance.
“Generally, underweight patients can be encouraged to gain more weight, and this alone often increases their fertility significantly or makes hormonal therapy more successful.
“Many studies have shown a clear and consistent decrease in infertility with increasing female weight.
“Overweight patients who undergo significant weight loss may ovulate without the need for fertility medications,” he said.
He advised patients to maintain an ideal body weight, saying it resulted in the best outcome for fertility therapy. (NAN)