How Obesity Can Affect Your Sex Life

Obesity, or significantly overweight, is a major health challenge all over the world, mostly in developed countries. Obesity leads to ill health and is a high risk for potentially serious health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and some cancers.

Apart from the obvious health risks, studies have shown that due to obesity, there is a major possibility of poor sexual health in both men and women.¹

People who weigh more than 20% above their ideal weight are considered to be obese.

Obesity and male sexual health

Research has indicated that obese men have lower than usual testosterone levels, the main male hormone which is responsible for all the male characteristics, and the development of the male sexual organs.²

Low testosterone, or low T, caused by obesity, can result in low libido, and contribute to erectile dysfunction. Testosterone is responsible for the production of sperm, so low T can also have a negative effect on a man’s fertility, especially if he is obese.

Obesity and erectile dysfunction (ED)

Hormonal disorders and low T are the main causes of erectile dysfunction. However, there are also medical reasons such as diabetes, heart problems, and high blood pressure, which play important roles.³

Obesity raises the risk of all those health issues, making you vulnerable if you develop any of the problems, of falling prey to erectile dysfunction. Studies have also linked abdominal obesity to ED, especially in older men. Study results suggest that a large amount of belly fat can increase the risk of ED by up to 90%.⁴

An unsatisfactory sexual performance in the bedroom can often be directly linked to obesity.

How obesity can affect a woman’s sexuality

Obesity presents the same health dangers as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes as it does for men. Women, however, often suffer a hormonal imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, which results in irregular periods, and ovulation difficulties when obese.

If you are very overweight and want to conceive, studies have shown that if you make a concerted effort to drop some weight, it might help regular periods and ovulation to resume without medication, and your chances may be good to fall pregnant.⁵

Body image is also very important to women, and many carrying extra weight, have low self-esteem, as they feel very unattractive.

The desire for sex takes a nosedive, and subsequently, many, even those in a relationship, try to avoid sex altogether. An obese woman may come to believe that there is really no chance of a quality sex life, or even a happy sexual relationship with someone.⁶

Reproductive functions

Science has proved that the reproductive functions of both men and women are negatively affected by obesity. There is a definite link between obesity and a low sperm count, as well as reduced sperm motility.⁸

A woman’s menstrual, as well as her ovulation cycle, is often thrown out of kilter, resulting in fewer eggs being released for fertilization.⁹

The fertility of both males and females is therefore gravely compromised by obesity, dashing hopes of a successful conception for those wanting to have a child.

Winning the battle of obesity

Obesity does not arrive overnight, and winning the battle will also not happen overnight. There can be various reasons why you may be overweight, not all of them associated with overeating, here are some:⁷

A hormonal imbalance in both men and women can lead to obesity.
Thyroid problems such as an underactive thyroid can also pack the weight on as calories are not being efficiently burned.
A lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle.
An unhealthy diet loaded with carbs, sugars, and take away processed foods.
Portions which are far too large for your needs, allowing the excess to be stored in your fat cells.

The medical problems can be assessed and treated by a doctor, while the diet and physical issues can be fought with a drastic change in lifestyle habits.

What you can do

If you have a lot of weight to lose, you may have to engage the services of a dietician to help you get started on a healthy eating plan to lose the weight.
Do not opt for fad diets which offer weight loss faster than the speed of light. Firstly, these diets are not healthy, and whatever weight you might lose, is likely to come back with a vengeance – plus more.
Make healthy eating a permanent part of your life, and opt for nutritious foods, which are energizing and promote the burning of calories.
Getting regular exercise is very important. There are simple exercises you can do at home, or you can go to a gym, and walking is an easy and excellent way to get the blood flowing. You can start slowly, and gradually build up the tempo of your exercising, as well as the distance you walk. Just be sure to exercise daily – the morning and early evening are usually the best.
Before eating, examine the portions of even the good stuff, and get into the habit and mindset of eating less. You will instinctively know when your portions are right for you.

Embracing a new lifestyle may be a challenge, but the end results will be worth any struggles you might have to overcome to restore your well-being.

The quality of your sex life

When someone is morbidly obese, the sex life often suffers, especially when sexual desire, performance, and enjoyment, hit the ground in major disappointment.

As you drop the weight and get rid of the fat and flab, your sexual encounters will also improve. Your self-esteem and self-confidence will get a well-deserved boost – and it won’t be long before you are back to your old self in the bedroom.

We can help

If you are looking for a successful, healthy way to lose weight, the Clean Start Weight Loss Program is the ideal vehicle.

On this program, which is medically designed and supervised, you will: