Testosterone—the manliness hormone—may help obese men lose weight. A study is being launched in Sydney to determine whether testosterone replacement therapy might be the key to unlocking and shedding those extra pounds.
Study leader Dr. Peter Liu says there will be a close look at an apparent link between male obesity, sleep apnea, and low levels of testosterone. “We know that if you have any one of those conditions you are more likely to have any of the other two,” said Dr. Liu, a physician at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
Dr. Liu believes there could well be a “vicious cycle” in which obesity leads to sleep apnea, which in turn may drop testosterone levels, which may lead to even more weight gain. “By giving testosterone, you might be able to reduce weight and improve sleep apnea,” he said. Testosterone maintains masculine traits such as bone strength, muscle mass and strength, sperm production, and decreased fat mass.
Dr. Liu said there are existing weight loss programs that target women, but none that target men. “There is a need,” he said, “to have particular methods that are more geared towards men, and this is one of them.”
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