Sexual function and obesity

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 31; no. 8; pp. 1189 - 1198
• Main Authors: Larsen, S.H, Wagner, G, Heitmann, B.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.08.2007; Nature Publishing; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: adverse effects; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; complications; Complications and side effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Erectile Dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - etiology; Erectile Dysfunction - physiopathology; etiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; human diseases; human physiology; Humans; Hypertension; Internal Medicine; Intervention; literature reviews; Male; Medical sciences; Medical Subject Headings-MeSH; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Miscellaneous; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - physiopathology; Observational studies; Other metabolic disorders; Overweight; physiology; physiopathology; Preventive medicine; Prospective Studies; Psychological aspects; Public Health; remission; review; Risk Factors; Sexual behavior; Sexual disorders; sexual dysfunction; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - etiology; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - physiopathology; Sexuality; Society; therapeutics; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weight control; weight loss; Weight Loss - physiology; Women; Denmark; metabolic syndrome; weight loss; sexual function; sexual dysfunction; body mass index; erectile dysfunction; Endocrinopathy; Human; Obesity; Erection disorders; Nutrition; Sexual dysfunction; Nutrition disorder; Weight loss; Cardiovascular disease; Male; Metabolic diseases; Body mass index; X Syndrome; Male genital diseases; Nutritional status; Sexual function
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803604

Objective: To review the literature on the relationship between obesity and sexual function. Method: A search in the medical literature from 1966 and onwards was carried out through Medline and Embase for publications on obesity, in combination with Medical Subject Heading words related to sexual function and dysfunction. Comments: Four prospective and seven cross-sectional studies were found describing association between obesity and erectile dysfunction (ED). One cross-sectional study was found describing obesity and female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The prospective studies on ED all demonstrated a direct association and so did five of the seven cross-sectional studies. The single FSD study did not find any relationship. Eight intervention studies on weight loss and sexual difficulties were identified. All included few individuals and results were mixed even if most indicated an increase of sexual activity among both men and women after weight loss intervention. Conclusion: Support for the assumption that obesity is associated with ED was found in both prospective and cross-sectional studies. FSD was not adequately described in the literature and prospective studies are needed here. Results from weight loss intervention studies are less conclusive, but also point toward improvement in sexual dysfunction with reduced weight.