Q. For most of my life, I’ve been a little overweight. In recent years, my weight problem seems to have become a bit more worrisome, probably because I’m less active. As a result, I’ve been having serious erection problems. Would a sensible weight-loss program help me to regain normal erectile function?
A. Carrying around a lot of extra weight puts heavy demands on your heart and all of the body’s vital organs. Your heart must work extra hard to pump oxygen-rich blood to every corner of your body. It’s impossible to know how much damage these extra pounds have done to your overall vascular system, but it’s clear that getting your weight back under control should be reflected in improved erectile function.
An Italian study conducted in the early 2000s looked at the effects of a weight loss program on the health and sexual function of 110 men diagnosed as obese. The university-sponsored weight loss program entailed a 300-calorie reduction in daily intake coupled with a program of increased physical activity. At the end of the two-year study period, 30 percent of the men enrolled in the program had regained normal sexual function. The Italian study was reviewed on January 10, 2005, issue of “Canadian Family Physician.”