ISLAMABAD: A 20-pound increase in the weight of men can increase their chances of infertility, says a new study.

Being overweight also increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia (disruption in the amount of lipids in the blood), heart disease, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (brief pauses in breathing) and respiratory problems and some cancers.

Now Markku Sallmen and other researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), North Carolina, suggest that a 20-pound increase in men’s weight may also increase their chances of infertility by about 10 percent.

The data on infertility and body mass came from questionnaires that 1,468 farmers and their wives completed when they enrolled in the study, reported science portal EurekAlert.

The wives completed a family health questionnaire, which included information about the couple’s reproductive....