Published on February 20, 2024
The first set of organs affected by obesity is the reproductive system. It affects women’s menstrual cycles, ovulation, and ability to become pregnant. In men, it affects production of sperm, both in quality and motility.
And that’s only part of the infertility equation.
You can’t get pregnant if the libido ain’t working, right?
Obese people, both men and women, often indicate problems with sex drive, desire, performance, or all three.
First, medical conditions such as high cholesterol and insulin resistance [an early indicator of type 2 diabetes], can impact sexual performance, which in turn impacts desire, particularly in men.
Secondly, the reason obesity very often inhibits a man’s sexual desire is because increased body fat in a man leads to more sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) in the system.
SHBG is a natural chemical that binds to testosterone, which means there’s less of the sex hormone left to handle the demands of a normal sex life.
The reduced level of testosterone often leads to erectile dysfunction, and a man who has problems having an erection is going to lose his desire for sex in not too long a time.
