Blog

By: Dr. Scott Perryman

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and the widespread health consequences are very real. Many men, women, and children struggle with being overweight and, as the years advance, the number of obese is only increasing. Obesity is a complicated disease that affects people physically and mentally. Obesity is complex and will affect each person uniquely.

Struggling with obesity impacts all aspect of our lives.

Men and women who are obese tend to avoid physical activity, social engagements and may isolate themselves from others.

Some individuals may even be deterred to engage in sexual activities. This can be due to a variety of factors. Obese individuals may be anxious about their appearance and capabilities. A range of stress and associated feelings may contribute to taking this a step further and avoid sex. One of the primary factors that impact men is decreased libido.

Obesity and Your Libido

Libido refers to a person’s sexual drive. Being overweight is a complex issue and a decreased sex drive can be due to many issues with weight gain being a common culprit. Factors that contribute to men struggling with erectile dysfunction are:

• Age
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Low testosterone
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Poor diet
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity

Low libido can often be attributed to weight. Weight can affect sex drive, desire, and performance. You may experience only one of these symptoms or all three. Either way, being overweight can dampen a healthy sex life. Many people who are overweight have a low self-image and may struggle with confidence.

The psychological effects of obesity may cause some men to shy away from sex.

Another reason related to their weight has to do with hormones and fat storage in the body. Testosterone is stored in fat and when men have too much fat, that testosterone is converted to estrogen. A high estrogen level may cause many issues for men.

Gynecomastia – Male Breast Development

Gynecomastia is typically a direct development from imbalanced hormones.

With higher estrogen levels, the male breast tissue will swell. Male breasts can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Gynecomastia is a difficult condition in general. The breasts may hurt, discharge fluid, and stretch out the breast tissue. Being obese and having a hormone imbalance may contribute to gynecomastia and other issues. These conditions can affect your body, how you perceive yourself, your mood, and your psychological state.

Your libido is something that imbalanced hormones and being overweight will impact significantly.

Men in a relationship may be embarrassed by their disinterest in sex, causing their low libido to get worse. For some men, losing weight is enough to improve their libido and increase their sex drive. However, counseling or couple therapy may also help break down insecurities and foster a healthy mental state.

The Results of a Healthy Sex Life

Regular sex can help lower stress levels and lower your risks for heart attacks.

Sex not only feels good but it is also a healthy function of the body. It makes sense that sex and libido go hand-in-hand. Regular sex will increase your libido, which will give you a higher sex drive. Sex is important for both your physical and mental health. Some of the ways sex can benefit you are:

• Sex will ensure the functionality of your genitalia is healthy.
• Sex helps to lower your blood pressure, which will have an overall benefit to many aspects of your health.
• Sex is a form of exercise. Not only will this physical act feel good but it will help you burn some calories.
• Sex can help you sleep better. Many people who are overweight struggle with sleep apnea. As you lose weight you may find sex helping contribute to sleeping better.
• Sex releases a hormone called oxytocin, that helps to create feelings of love and trust. As humans, we are meant for social connection. Sex will benefit your mental and emotional health.
• Sex helps to release testosterone, which will improve your hormone balance and also contribute to you looking young and healthy.
• Sex can help you feel fulfilled on an emotional and physical level.

Above are listed just a few ways your life is benefited by sex. However, an increase in weight will have a negative impact on your sex life and libido.

How Can Weight Impact Your Libido?

Obesity can have negative effects on your sex life and it is common for overweight men to struggle with impotence.

Obesity will impact the blood vessels all over your body, including the ones that impact the genitalia. Damage from hypertension and inflammation can cause erectile dysfunction. ED can be further developed by fears and embarrassment.

Obesity affects so many aspects of physical and mental health. Men who struggle with obesity will have poor blood circulation, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and be at risk of diabetes. Obese diabetics who undergo Bariatric Surgery can reduce risk of a heart attack, unstable angina or need for bypass surgery by a half.

The above-listed conditions will impact the function of the genitalia often leading to male impotence. Erection struggles happen from time to time and are normal, but the difficulty in keeping an erection throughout sex may be a reflection of poor health. A man with erectile dysfunction will lose interest in sex, thus lowering his libido significantly.

Take control of your future and sex life by losing weight.

Get Your Libido Back!

Many overweight men between the ages of thirty and seventy struggle with erectile dysfunction. Fortunately, you can easily get your libido back! Just losing a couple of pounds will improve your health dramatically and your sex drive! Losing weight feels good and will naturally boost your moods. There are many ways to regain both your health and your sex drive, such as:

HEALTHY EATING

Changing your diet and eating healthy will improve your body’s function and help you feel better about yourself. Increase your intake of low-calorie meals that are filling. Vegetables and proteins will help you stay full longer and provide many crucial nutrients to your body. Be intentional about what you put in your body. Mindful practices will give you a better understanding of your body and how to navigate each day.

LIVING AN ACTIVE LIFE

An active lifestyle will help your body reap all types of benefits.

Just getting out each day and getting your heart rate up for twenty minutes will help the many systems in your body. Working out also produces endorphins which will boost your mood and help counteract depression. Being active improves blood circulation, a contributing factor to the function of male genitalia. Working out and being active will have a positive impact on your sex life.

Benefits of Losing Weight

One of the primary benefits of losing weight is that it will elongate your life.

Just losing ten pounds will enhance your life expectancy and improve your health. Losing weight also does a lot with regards to your cardiovascular health. Losing weight will help your heart pump blood through the circulatory system and improve the function of your genitalia. Losing weight impacts so many aspects of your health, if you lose weight it will impact your libido but also so many more areas of your life.

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop serious health conditions.

People who are overweight have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, arthritis, or needing a triple bypass. If an individual is morbidly obese, their life expectancy and quality of life are very low. A healthy weight will lower your risk of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, arthritis. By losing weight, you reduce pressure on the bones and other body systems to help improve how they operate.

Losing weight reduces the likelihood of you needing a triple bypass or other invasive surgeries. Losing weight will have a profound effect on your health and libido!

How Do I Start living Healthy?

Obesity is a complex problem that needs a multifaceted approach.

If you have a BMI of thirty or higher, you may be qualified for bariatric surgery or other weight loss procedures. There are many forms of bariatric surgery that can help address body types, lifestyles, and health conditions. Once you have bariatric surgery, you will lose significant weight in the first month. You will continue to lose weight until you accomplish a healthy lifestyle and BMI.

Living healthy is all about finding what works for you and keeps you motivated to be healthy for the rest of your life.

Additional ways to gain control of your health is by cutting out smoking, making healthy food choices, and incorporating activities into your every day. You don’t need to run twenty miles a week. Find an activity that you enjoy and feel confident doing once a day. This could be going for a walk, bike riding, swimming, or any other activity that you will enjoy and get you moving.

A price cannot be put on the quality of your life.

At Whole Health Weight Loss Institute, we are dedicated to not only helping our patients lose weight but for them to overcome obesity and be set on the path to a healthy, sustaining lifestyle. Overcoming obesity and regaining your libido should be taken day-by-day. Surround yourself with encouraging people and methods to maintain control of your life.