Weight Loss = Increased Libido & Stronger Erections!

Rarely, we're inspired to do great things.  More often, we need a good swift kick in the derriere to do something.  Weight loss appears to lie in the latter grouping for most overweight & obese Americans.  In medicine, we have noted that preventing illness & improving health isn't enough to spur on most of our patients, especially men.  However, dangling sex in front of us appears to work.  So here goes:  in a small study released this month, the authors noted that rapid weight loss within 8 weeks was able to improve sex drive & erectile function, among other health benefits.

More specifically, the authors randomized 19 obese men (BMI>30 & waist >40") w/T2DM to low calorie (1,000kcal/d) meal replacement and 12 similar men to a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that decreased daily caloric intake by 600kcal//d.  Within 8 weeks, these men had lost 10% & 5% respectively in both weight (~20.9lbs vs ~11.9lbs) & waist circumference.  They also noted significant improvements in fasting glucose, LDL cholesterol, and inflammatory markers as well as in sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory), erectile function (International Index of Erectile Function), and lower urinary tract symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score).

These men were then all switched to the high protein, low carbohydrate diet for the next 44 weeks for a total of 52 weeks in the study.  It should be noted that only half the men were able to complete a full year.  But of those who did, they maintained or even increased their benefits.  While we don't typically recommend losing more than 1-2lbs/week, the weight lost over the initial period of time is well within accepted guidelines.  Thus, this study does demonstrate the benefit of weight loss on both markers of health outcome and men's quality of life issues.  So try using increased libido and stronger erections as incentives for your obese diabetic men to lose weight.