<p>Children of obese fathers are at a greater risk of being overweight, a new study by Australian researchers has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Adelaide University's Robinson Institute team has found molecular signals in the sperm of obese fathers could produce diabetes-like symptoms and obesity in two generations of offspring, even if those children consumed healthy food.<br /><br />Researcher Tod Fullston said that this was the first time such a link was found.<br /><br />"A father's diet changes the molecular makeup of the sperm," he was quoted by ABC News as saying.<br /><br />"With obese fathers, the changes in their sperm, in their microRNA molecules, might programme the embryo for obesity or metabolic disease later in life," Fullston said.<br />He said research had used mice and the next step would be human trials.<br /><br />"We'll be proposing to do human studies based around that very thing, whether men with a higher BMI (body mass index) do indeed have a different microRNA profile within their sperm and we'd also like to have a look at whether diet and exercise return that to what it would be in a normal weight male," he said.<br /><br />The study found that the second generation could face similar metabolic disorders, including obesity, however, not a severe one.<br /><br />Fullston said even if an obese father had no signs of diabetes, metabolic disease similar to diabetes could turn up in two generations of descendants.</p>
<p>Children of obese fathers are at a greater risk of being overweight, a new study by Australian researchers has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Adelaide University's Robinson Institute team has found molecular signals in the sperm of obese fathers could produce diabetes-like symptoms and obesity in two generations of offspring, even if those children consumed healthy food.<br /><br />Researcher Tod Fullston said that this was the first time such a link was found.<br /><br />"A father's diet changes the molecular makeup of the sperm," he was quoted by ABC News as saying.<br /><br />"With obese fathers, the changes in their sperm, in their microRNA molecules, might programme the embryo for obesity or metabolic disease later in life," Fullston said.<br />He said research had used mice and the next step would be human trials.<br /><br />"We'll be proposing to do human studies based around that very thing, whether men with a higher BMI (body mass index) do indeed have a different microRNA profile within their sperm and we'd also like to have a look at whether diet and exercise return that to what it would be in a normal weight male," he said.<br /><br />The study found that the second generation could face similar metabolic disorders, including obesity, however, not a severe one.<br /><br />Fullston said even if an obese father had no signs of diabetes, metabolic disease similar to diabetes could turn up in two generations of descendants.</p>