Weight Control And Exercise - Causes Of Erectile Dysfunction: Mens Sexual Health

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Weight control and exercise

Given that excess weight is a major risk factor for vascular disease, it's perhaps not surprising that close to 80% of men with erectile dysfunction are overweight or obese. Now, there's evidence that lifestyle changes — namely, losing weight and exercising — can improve erectile dysfunction, just as they lower the risk of vascular disease. A 2004 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association described a study of 110 obese men with erectile dysfunction. Half the men received detailed advice on weight loss and exercise; the others got only general advice on healthy food choices and exercise. After two years, almost a third of those who received detailed advice reported improvement in sexual function, compared with just a few in the other group.

A study in 2006 by the same research team suggested that food choices may also affect the risk of erectile dysfunction. Men without erectile dysfunction are more likely to follow a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, while low in red and processed meat and refined grains (the so-called Mediterranean diet). In addition, two findings from the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a long-term study involving nearly 32,000 men, lend further support for keeping trim and fit. Researchers found that men who exercised 30 minutes a day were 41% less likely to have erectile dysfunction compared with sedentary men. And a man with a 42-inch waist is 50% more likely to have erectile dysfunction than a man with a 32-inch waist.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008