Sex could motivate obese men to lose weight

A specialist in men's health suggests that warning overweight men about the consequences of fat on their sex lives may help them shed their kilos where other strategies have failed.

Professor Gary Wittert says most men are oblivious to the fact that being overweight could cause erectile dysfunction and this link could be the key to fighting obesity.

Professor Wittert, the head of the school of medicine at the University of Adelaide, says the high levels of obesity in Australian men has significant consequences for chronic diseases, both physical and psychological.

Obesity experts say obesity can have a dire effect on erectile function when the excess weight often restricts the blood flow to the sex organs.

Professor Wittert says while it is common knowledge that the blood vessels to the heart are affected by obesity, that similar effects occur with the blood vessels to the penis, resulting in erectile dysfunction and poor urinary tract function, is not so well known.

Wittert says as Australian men are deeply concerned about erection problems, this may present an opportunity to improve communication about the benefits of weight loss.

He believes as men are not good at volunteering health information, especially in relation to their sex lives, health practitioners could be trained to elicit important information in a gender-specific way.

Professor Wittert analysed the results of two major men's sexual health surveys, the Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study and the Men in Australia Telephone Survey and he will present his results on sex and obesity patterns at a public seminar at the university.

Current estimates indicate that as many as 67 per cent of Australian men have a body mass index (BMI) reading over 25, making them either overweight or obese.