Despite the fact that obesity rates between men and women are similar, approximately 80-85 percent of all bariatric surgery patients in the United States are female. While it’s true that men tend to have an easier time shedding unwanted pounds through diet and exercise than women, weight loss surgery for men can be a good option for obese men who aren’t having success with diet and exercise.
How Chronic Obesity Impacts Men
Have you ever watched one of those reality shows where the participants try to lose as much weight as possible through extreme diet and exercise? Notice how the men on these shows can often shed far more pounds than the women do? Unfortunately, these reality shows can give men the impression that they can drop unwanted weight anytime they want. But as men age, changes in their muscle mass, injuries, and co-current health problems can make dealing with excess weight seem impossible.
One factor that makes it tough for obese men to lose weight through diet and exercise is lowered testosterone levels. Obesity lowers levels of the male hormone testosterone, which can have a negative effect on a man’s muscle mass and his metabolic rate.
Not only does this obesity-related testosterone drop make it tough for men to lose unwanted weight, but researchers at Harvard University have discovered that obese men are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction (ED) as men who have a body mass index of 30 or less.
The good news is that weight loss surgery for men has been shown to be highly effective in not only helping obese men achieve a healthy body weight, but procedures like LAP-BAND, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy can help restore normal testosterone levels and eliminate the occurrence of ED.
Of course, men who have bariatric surgery also enjoy the usual health benefits of a lower body weight such as, decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, improved energy levels, and an overall better quality of life.
To learn more about weight loss surgery for men at Destination Weight Loss, contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced, compassionate bariatric surgeons.
