A study from the University of Buffalo (USA) reveals that obese men between 14 and 20 years of age have 50% less testosterone – the male sex hormone par excellence – than the rest of normal weight individuals of the same age range . This fact increases the risk of being impotent and infertile as adults, according to the researchers published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology .
? These findings show that the effect of obesity is powerful, even in young people, and that lifestyle and nutritional intake in childhood and adolescence have repercussions at all stages of life ,? stresses endocrinologist Paresh Dandona , co-author of the work.
In addition to the negative consequences on reproduction, low levels of testosterone tend to increase abdominal fat, reduce muscle mass and develop insulin resistance , favoring diabetes.
So far, the study has been carried out with only 50 subjects, so Dandona and his colleagues warn that the conclusions obtained should be confirmed with a larger sample. They have also set out to find out if losing weight and acquiring healthier lifestyles would restore normal testosterone levels in obese adult men.
