Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Obese men with sexual dysfunction may find that weight loss improves their sex lives, according to a new study.
Erectile dysfunction can have a severe impact on a man's quality of life. It often goes hand in hand with conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure which, in turn, are linked to overweight.
In a study from the University of Naples, Italy, a group of 110 obese men with sexual dysfunction were assigned to either an exercise and diet program or to general information and advice. Those in the former group achieved good weight loss, compared to those in the control group. They also reported an improvement in their sexual dysfunction problems.
These men did not, however, have any health problems like diabetes so we don't know if the results would generalize to men who do have these issues. But the findings are encouraging - this is a cheap and risk-free way of improving sexual functioning. Even if it doesn't work, people have many other potential gains from losing weight.
Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 23/30th June 2004 Volume 291 pages 2978-2984