If you are a male, and you are overweight, you might consider asking your doctor about testosterone therapy.

Many men who are overweight have low testosterone anyways, so get it checked regardless.

Research points to a connection between testosterone replacement therapy and better weight loss.

On average, the men weighed 236 pounds before beginning testosterone treatment and 200 pounds after treatment (106.2 versus 90 kilograms), the authors reported. Weight loss was reportedly continuous, with an average reduction in body weight ranging from about 4 percent after one year of treatment to more than 13 percent after five years. (source)

In his Diabetes Solution book, Dr. Richard Bernstein recommends testosterone to all his patients trying to lose weight.  You might his book out, as it’s a great resource for anyone who is overweight. Regardless, here’s what he has to say about testosterone:

The clues that remind me to test men for low free serum testosterone are:

• Excessive breast tissue
• Abdominal obesity without overeating
• A need to inject large doses of insulin (typically more than 65 units per day) in order to normalize blood sugar

These three clues need not all appear — any one of them is good reason to perform a blood test.

When serum free testosterone is below the lower fifth of the normal range, I prescribe self-injection of testosterone cipionate (200 mg/ml) once or twice per week. We then periodically retest on a day midway between two injections and repeat testing until the level is in the middle of the normal range. I usually start with injections of 0.2 ml in a “tuberculin” syringe or 20 units in a long-needle insulin syringe.

I don’t prescribe testosterone gel or skin patches because most men find them to be irritating or difficult to remember to use. They would rather inject once or twice weekly.

With testosterone use, I usually see about a one-third drop in insulin requirement and more rapid weight loss.  (source)

There was also some research out of europe a few months back that indicated similar weight loss results among men on testosterone therapy. I’ll update this when I find a link to it.

Resources:

• Dr. Richard Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution
• Long-term testosterone treatment for men results in reduced weight and waist size – Eurekalert