Does Being Overweight Affect Your Testosterone Levels?

It's widely known that testosterone levels naturally decline with age. However, being overweight or being extremely overweight (also known as Obesity) can cause testosterone levels to decline even faster and may cause patients already suffering from symptoms associated with low testosterone levels, such as fatigue, sleep issues, low libido, and male chest enlargement (known as gynecomastia) to feel even worse than patients who suffer from low testosterone alone. For these patients, sometimes just addressing testosterone levels may not be enough for symptoms to improve, and addressing weight loss may become more of a priority.

Why does this happen? This happens for several reasons. The body is a VERY complex system with a lot of pathways and hormone signaling to help keep things in check. When we carry more weight, the extra weight we carry disrupts certain pathways that normally provide feedback to promote hormone repletion and balance. If the weight we carry comes from the food we eat, such as regularly eating foods that are poor in quality (I’m talking, fatty, greasy, high calorie and carbohydrate-rich foods such as those found in some fast foods franchises and often in sweets) we can suffer from nutritional imbalances that throw off hormones. In addition, the extra weight itself disrupts certain pathways like the Hypothalamic- Pituitary- Gonadal Axis (which is what doctors term the relationship between the brain and certain organs) that tell male and female gonads how much hormone to produce. Without good information this pathway gets disrupted which can affect men, causing the testicles to not produce enough testosterone and also affecting prostate health. Additionally, the extra weight carried is not without function. Fat cells (also known as adipose cells) produce an enzyme called aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen. High estrogen can lead to a host of problems, including low libido, erectile dysfunction, and decreased muscle mass. One physical symptom of extra estrogen is the development of “male breasts”. (Just to be clear, there are a host of other diseases that can cause the same thing, so it is very important to discuss this with your doctor). Does fixing my weight help fix my testosterone and estrogen?

The answer is Yes and no, but likely yes. (The answer to this question depends on each person and what else is going on within the body) This is where your relationship with your doctor comes in. Losing weight is HARD. (Obviously, if it was easy everyone would be thin!) It’s a very complex process that involves our brains, organs, relationship with food, emotions, and much, much more. Yes, supplementing some men with hormone treatments can help with losing some inches and gaining muscle mass, but often people need help (which is why weight loss clinics are SO popular). Hitting the gym and changing dietary habits or focusing on a fad diet may or may not help. Fad diets most certainly have been proven to NOT help and often result in rebound weight gain. Finding a system that works for you along with certain medications which can help to provide assistance and get the support you need all play a key role. In one study, obese men who lost 10% of their body weight had a significant increase in testosterone levels along with improving overall metabolic health and reducing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

The Bottom Line:

If you're overweight and concerned about your testosterone levels, talk to your doctor about ways to lose weight safely. Here at Misra Wellness, we can also discuss hormone replacement therapy as a potential treatment option as an additional component to assist in the weight loss process. Our goal here is to get you feeling like “YOU” again.

Book an appointment with Dr. Misra to discuss all your options.