by: DUDLEY S. DANOFF, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Let’s face it – as a man, it is a lot easier to operate smoothly and vigorously in bed if you are not carrying a 20-pound belt of blubber around your waist. Not only are there health risks to being overweight, but for most women, a lean physique is much more attractive. Even more important than how other people see you, is your perception of your body. Maintaining a healthy body weight encourages self-confidence and promotes a healthy and positive outlook on life. In addition, if you are overweight and looking down at your penis from above a big belly, you might start thinking of your penis as small because layers of fat obscure so much of it. Remember, the penis comes from under the pubic bone. If there are two or three inches of fat above the pubic bone (pre-pubic fat), your erect penis will need to traverse that distance before it sees the light of day. This creates the “illusion” of a very short penis. That, in turn, will cause you to think small about your penis power.
In general, I have found that men with poor body images have some degree of penis weakness. Men who are comfortable with their bodies and are content with their looks have a higher likelihood for super potency.
You do not necessarily have to emulate the image of a sleek muscular body, with a gorgeous woman at your side, promoting everything from a deodorant to a pickup truck. Whose self image could possibly live up to those standards? You need to avoid comparing yourself to other men, especially image of the “perfect” man portrayed in magazines and on the silver screen.
The key to achieving a good body image is a proper diet, regular exercise, and maintenance of a sensible stable weight. This will, in itself, promote a sense of general well-being and improve your sexuality.
If you are overweight and you need to be dieting, you know you have to count calories, carbs and fats. Recent studies have shown that if you really want to keep the weight off, you might focus on the glycemic index, a measure of how quickly foods are digested. High-glycemic foods cause a surge in blood sugar, followed by a crash. This biologic reaction releases hormones that stimulate hunger, lower metabolism, and make it more difficulty to both lose weight and keep it off.
In a recent published study in the Journal of American Medical Association, Dr. David Ludwig compared a low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-glycemic diet to see which burned the most calories daily. The low-carbohydrate diet was the best. The low-fat diet was the worst, and the low-glycemic index diet burned more calories per day than the low-fat diet. But most importantly, the low-glycemic diet proved easier to stick to over the long term than even the low-carbohydrate diet.
The key to this combination of a low-carbohydrate and a low glycemic diet is to start eating more fruits and vegetables. When it comes to carbohydrates, you must go with a lower glycemic index, which means brown rice versus white, whole grain pasta and steel-cut oats instead of “quick-cooking” oats. You also must avoid all processed foods like white bread, white rice, breakfast cereals, and crackers, all of which have a high glycemic index.
Dr. Ludwig points out that the low-glycemic index diet “increases the metabolic rate and decreases hunger, giving us a biologic advantage” in losing and maintaining an ideal weight. Natural foods like most vegetables, fruits and nuts, as well as beans and whole grains, wind their way slowly through the body’s digestive system, using up more energy and burning more calories in the process.
Dr. Ludwig points out that this preliminary study is “short and not conclusive.” He is working to design a better study that examines diet and weight loss maintenance over a longer period of time.
At this point, we recommend a moderation in foods containing carbohydrates and fats. I emphasize exercise as an important part of the equation, which includes at least 60-90 minutes of moderate exercise every day of the week. This regimen of diet and exercise is guaranteed to improve your sex life, irrespective of age or level of physical fitness.