Weight loss boosts men’s sexual health

A new study has found that a modest weight loss could improve erectile function and sexual desire, and lower urinary tract symptoms in obese men with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers led by Professor Gary Wittert, MBBch, MD, FRACP, FRCP, of the University of Adelaide studied 31 obese men with type 2 diabetes over 8 weeks.

The men received either a meal replacement-based low-calorie diet or a low-fat, high-protein, reduced-carbohydrate diet prescribed to decrease intake by 600 calories a day.

The results found that a modest weight loss of 5 per cent resulted in a rapid reversal of sexual and urinary problem, within 8 weeks, and the improvement continued out to 12 months in obese men with type 2 diabetes.

“Our findings are consistent with the evidence that not only erectile function, but also lower urinary tract symptoms are a marker of cardio-metabolic risk,” Wittert said.