| In the pantheon of contemporary culture, neither | | | | control group's overall cholesterol went up, but with no |
| Adonis nor Aphrodite has love handles. But two thirds | | | | increase in their good HDL levels. Triglyceride levels |
| of Americans do. Yet, contrary to conventional | | | | and C-reactive protein counts also dropped for the |
| stereotypes, their excess weight hasn't hampered their | | | | supervised group, but not the control. You probably |
| interest in having a healthy sex life. In fact, research | | | | recognize these things as factors in heart health and |
| shows that overweight men are just as interested in | | | | diabetes, and so you can understand how the |
| sex as the next guy; they just may not be as able to | | | | supervised subjects' also reduced their disease risk. |
| perform. Now, when it comes to performance anxiety, | | | | The researchers also tested endothelial function -the |
| low self-esteem about body image can be a real | | | | performance of cells lining the blood vessels- which |
| impediment to confidence, so that may account for | | | | has an impact on both cardiovascular health and |
| some of the problem. But experts say that 90 percent | | | | erectile function. The chronic oxidative stress and |
| of erectile dysfunction is physical in origin, not | | | | inflammation caused by obesity impairs endothelial |
| psychological. In large-scale studies, nearly 80 percent | | | | function. Here again, the men in the intervention group |
| of men who reported having erectile dysfunction were | | | | showed improvement, while the control group did not. |
| also overweight or obese. So perhaps it won't be a | | | | We already knew from previous research that |
| surprise that a recent study published in the Journal of | | | | overweight men who initiate weight loss in mid-life |
| the American Medical Association has yielded some | | | | have 70 percent less risk of ever having erectile |
| promising news about resolving this sensitive problem, | | | | dysfunction than those who remain sedentary. The |
| and it doesn't have anything to do with little blue pills | | | | current study was meant to determine if weight loss |
| you hear advertised during major sporting events. The | | | | could also reverse erectile dysfunction that had |
| research in question was a two-year study conducted | | | | already set in, and it seems clear that it can. If sales of |
| at the Second University of Naples, Italy. The subjects | | | | Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are any indication, the pursuit |
| were recruited from a campus weight-loss clinic. They | | | | of vigorous sexual function is a strong motivator for |
| were all obese men between the ages of 35 and 55. | | | | men of any age. Hundreds of millions of dollars have |
| All reported some degree of erectile dysfunction, but | | | | been invested in promoting the take-a-pill approach to |
| they were otherwise healthy, without the complications | | | | that pursuit, and millions of men have responded, in |
| of diabetes, hypertension or heart disease that are so | | | | spite of potential side effects and other health risks |
| common with obesity. Half the subjects were | | | | involved. Imagine if even a few million dollars were |
| supervised by medical professionals in individualized | | | | invested in a public education campaign letting men |
| weight-loss treatment programs. They were educated | | | | know that just losing weight and improving their fitness |
| about diet, fitness and personal behavioral adjustments | | | | could be the answer to their personal distress. It's true |
| in visits with a nutritional counselor and a personal | | | | that recently, there have been more public health |
| trainer, every month for the first year, and then | | | | efforts to promote weight-loss and fitness in general, |
| bi-monthly during the second year of the study. The | | | | especially given the epidemic of obesity and |
| other half-the control group-just got general information | | | | associated increases in diabetes and heart disease. |
| about exercise and healthy dietary choices during visits | | | | But imagine the impact of a campaign that gave men |
| every other month during the two-year study period. | | | | the concrete goal of a healthy sex life. Most would |
| By the end of the study, all the men in the supervised | | | | agree that seems more tangible to the average fellow |
| group had lost weight and experienced various health | | | | than say, lowering his triglycerides. There's likely to be |
| and sexual function improvements. In fact, by the time | | | | some personal cost involved in pursuing |
| they'd achieved a weight loss of just 10 percent, | | | | comprehensive weight loss treatment. But how do |
| erectile dysfunction was completely alleviated for one | | | | those costs compare to the expense of prescription |
| out of three men in that group. But there was no | | | | approaches? And consider how much overall health |
| change in weight for the control group, and even by | | | | care costs would go down if men tried to recover |
| the end of the study, only three of the 55 men in the | | | | their lost virility by losing weight and getting healthy, |
| control group had recovered normal erectile function. | | | | instead of popping a pill. No matter how medically |
| Perhaps the most important finding of this study is one | | | | appropriate and cost-effective, this is one treatment |
| the researchers weren't even trying to prove: | | | | that-as a JAMA editorial put it-will never be |
| regardless of the objective, the weight loss effort is | | | | "accompanied by free pens, free notepads and its |
| more effective with professional supervision. | | | | own Superbowl commercial." That means it's up to |
| Remember that these men were all what you would | | | | public health advocates and doctors to carry this |
| call "motivated" subjects; they were recruited from | | | | message of hope without any big-budget hype. |
| among people who had already shown up at a | | | | THROUGH THICK & THIN: Erectile Dysfunction |
| weight-loss clinic, so they wanted to lose some weight. | | | | Erectile dysfunction affects more than half of |
| But even at that, the subjects who didn't have any | | | | American males between age 40 and 70, and nearly |
| particular guidance just couldn't do it. The men did not | | | | 80 percent of men with the problem are overweight. |
| know that the study was specifically examining the | | | | Research shows that just walking a couple miles a |
| potential improvement in sexual function. Had they | | | | day can significantly help a man's chances of |
| known this was a possible outcome of their effort, | | | | avoiding-or even reversing-erectile dysfunction, and it's |
| even the unsupervised group might have been more | | | | a lot cheaper and less risky than certain pills we hear a |
| "motivated." When a healthy sex life is at stake-and | | | | lot about. |
| for most overweight men, it is-men shouldn't just try to | | | | Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. is a board certified Family |
| handle the problem on their own, because the right | | | | Physician and a board certified Bariatric Physicians (the |
| support seems to make all the difference. That said, | | | | medical specialty of weight management). Dr. |
| consider some of the other outcomes: In the | | | | Cederquist is the founder of Bistro MD a home diet |
| supervised group, overall blood pressure was lowered, | | | | delivery program that specializes in low calorie |
| but not in the control group. In the supervised group, | | | | gourmet food that is delivered to your home or office |
| overall cholesterol levels dropped, but the subjects had | | | | and a practicing bariatric physician. |
| an increase in their good HDL cholesterol levels. The | | | | |