Obese men
often experience a sharp decline
in testosterone levels while
obese girls show much higher
levels of the sex hormone than
girls of normal weight, according
to recent scientific research
released.
Two separate studies published in
the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism could indicate increased
health risks for both grown men and
teen-age girls who are obese.
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone
for men, though it is found in women
as well. It helps maintain muscle
mass and bone density and keeps sex
drive and physical energy at healthy
levels.
Testosterone levels naturally decline
as men age. But those who put on weight
-- as little as 30 pounds (13.6 kg)
for a 6-foot man -- lost as much testosterone
as if they had aged 10 years, scientists
at the New England Research Institutes
found.
Those who experienced a traumatic
event, such as the loss of a wife,
experienced a similar drop in testosterone
levels.
The scientists based their findings
on a study that tracked 1,667 men.
Obese girls going through puberty
had the opposite problem, a separate
study found.
Researchers at the University of
Virginia and several other universities
found that obese girls had two to
nine times the levels of testosterone
as girls of normal weight.
That could impair reproductive health,
lead to undesirable side effects like
excess hair growth, and put them at
greater risk for diabetes, they said.
That paper was based on a study of
104 girls.
