Weight loss boosts libido

Gastric bypass surgery helps obese men not only lose weight but also increase their testosterone levels. Gastric bypass surgery is generally considered when the body mass index of an individual is 40 or higher or when weight becomes a life- threatening or disabling condition.

The surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. The weight loss continues up to 12 months after the surgery. Excess weight is usually associated with decreased testosterone (male sex hormone) levels and hence decreased libido.

To study whether gastric bypass surgery helps increasing testosterone levels or not, researchers from California studied 48 severely obese men with an average BMI of 48 before the surgery.

The testosterone levels of the participants were measured before and after the weight loss surgery. The serum total testosterone levels were below normal in 50 percent of the patients before the surgery.

It was found that after the procedure, average testosterone concentrations rose significantly. All of the men had testosterone levels in the normal range after 1 year.

The researchers noted that the degree of the increase in testosterone levels after the surgery might explain why many male patients have a restoration of erectile function and sexual drive once they lose weight. [From Internet]