Overweight and Obesity Can Harm Sexual Health, Sexologist Explains

Overweight and obesity pose significant risks not only to cardiovascular and metabolic health but also to sexual well-being, according to Colombian sexologist Fernando Rosero. These conditions can disrupt hormone production and impair blood vessel function, leading to a diminished sex drive, erectile difficulties for men, and insufficient lubrication for women.

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Two out of every three patients who are overweight and obese will have a sexual dysfunction for a urological cause, that is, for a medical cause.

Rosero highlighted that a substantial portion of patients seeking help for sexual problems have underlying issues related to excess weight. He stated that "two out of every three patients who are overweight and obese will have a sexual dysfunction for a urological cause, that is, for a medical cause." This underscores the physiological basis of these issues, moving beyond purely psychological explanations.

Inflammation is a key mechanism through which obesity affects sexual health. Rosero explained that this chronic inflammation can impact reproductive organs in both men and women, interfering with the cells responsible for producing essential hormones like testosterone. "Overweight and obese patients have less desire, not because they don't see themselves as beautiful and don't like themselves, but because their body produces fewer hormones," he noted.

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Overweight and obese patients have less desire, not because they don't see themselves as beautiful and don't like themselves, but because their body produces fewer hormones.

Beyond hormonal changes, obesity also affects the vascular system, including the blood vessels crucial for sexual response. Fat accumulation can narrow these vessels in the penis and vagina, hindering proper dilation. This vascular impairment can prevent men from achieving an erection and women from experiencing adequate lubrication.

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(Fat accumulation) is going to go to the blood vessels, the blood vessels of the penis and the vagina, and it is going to make the vessel unable to dilate, the man will not be able to have an erection and the woman will not be able to have lubrication.

Rosero stressed that focusing solely on appearance or self-esteem overlooks the profound physical and metabolic changes associated with obesity. He advocated for an approach centered on overall health, viewing weight loss as a potential outcome rather than the sole objective. "The care of obesity has to do with health, not with weight as we have always thought," he asserted.

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The care of obesity has to do with health, not with weight as we have always thought. Weight loss is only one of the results of the care of obesity.