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October 12th, 2012
03:04 PM ET
'Alarming' low testosterone levels found in obese teenage boysObese teenage boys are at risk for more than diabetes and heart disease, a new study has found. They also have alarmingly low levels of testosterone - between 40 to 50% less than males of the same age with a normal body mass index. The study, published this week in the journal Clinical Endocrinology, investigated the effect of obesity on testosterone levels in young males. It has its origins in earlier research, which showed that type II diabetes and obesity in older men are linked to a high rate (25-33%) of hypogonadism, or low testosterone levels. According to the new study, the rate of hypogonadism in type II diabetic men ages 18-35 is greater than 50%. In addition, concentrations of free testosterone — testosterone that isn’t chemically bound and thus available to the body — were shown to be negatively related to BMI: The higher the body mass, the lower the concentration. “This raises the question whether obesity is associated with lower testosterone concentrations, even in younger males,” the study said. Controlling for age, physical maturity and certain medical factors, 25 obese and 25 lean males between the ages of 14 and 20 were studied. Blood samples were drawn in the morning to measure both total and free testosterone. Mean testosterone concentration was 50% lower in obese males. Mean free testosterone concentration was 46% lower. The results present several problems for those affected, according to Dr. Paresh Dandona, chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Buffalo’s medical school and the study’s lead author. Obesity can lead to diabetes and heart disease. What’s more, low testosterone can slow or stop sexual maturation — and there’s nothing more hurtful than “a male not having his maleness,” Dandona said. “It’s alarming, because these guys could grow up to be inadequate in sexual performance and also in terms of fertility,” he said. The next step is a larger study to confirm the findings as well as investigate more questions, such how the hypothalamus part of the brain is “turned off” when triggering the pituitary gland to produce testosterone — and how it might be turned back on. The brain’s mechanisms are especially important, Dandona said, because it’s there that the problem begins. Research has shown that adults who have gastric bypass surgery return to normal testosterone levels. It’s possible that weight loss alone would have a similar effect. There is no confirmation yet if this holds true for teenaged males. For cautious parents, the best first step is to be proactive against obesity, doctors say. “Because that’s the passport to disaster in the long-term,” Dandona said - “diabetes, heart disease and now inadequate sexual maturation.”
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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It isn't a surprise. The body when it is under high amounst of continual stress will do what it can to reduce stress as much as possible. Testosterone works much like adrenaline. Also look at the fact that there is reduced blood flow to the whole body, so extra functions that the body doesn't need as much will be ruduced to maximize the needed functions. The body will produce more if more starts getting used- and it can be used for muscle development. Fixing their diet and getting to be more active physically will solve this in a short amount of time.
Nope.
Estodiol is produced by the conversion testosterone, in a process called aromatization. This conversion requires aromatase. Aromase is found in high levels in adipocytes (fat cells). This is the mechanism that best describes elevated estrogen in obese males.
This also explains why obese women are at an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
s/b Estrodiol is produced by the conversion of testosterone...
I wonder if the results would be similar in obese female teens...
I think estrogen is increased in overweight girls – I know that the average onset of puberty is earlier due to obesity.
The result would likely be the same for obese female teens, as well as many obese female adults and males. I have a disease called PCOS (Poly cystic ovarian syndrome). One of the symptoms of this disease is a higher testosterone level, lower levels of progesterone, and higher levels of estrogen. This combination causes a person to gain weight more rapidly than the average person, and harder to lose than average. I have lost weight in the past, and was able to get my PCOS in "remission". You have to keep your diet very strict though, which feels at times impossible, and pregnancy seemed to make my condition worse.
thats right fatty time to man up
Is CNN now posting biological science discoveries articles from the 1980's now? This has been known for decades I am pretty sure...
Nice, love how everyone jumps right in to attack these kids. We're raising a country of armchair a holes.
Agreed. It is sad the level of habitual hating that goes on in America. Armchair a holes for sure. It really is weird to me and bizarre that people so naturally want to and then do hate on people so consistently. It is simply bizarre.
Bigger Thomas, you're confused because you're unintelligent. Reality shall forever remain a mystery to you.
Dr. Dandona sounds incapable of critical thought. Why is lower testosterone bad? Lower sexual performance? Not "male" enough? Testosterone is the one-armed man behind every single violent act ever committed by human beings. 50% reduction in young men is a blessing. Net benefit for humanity: 50% reduction in atrocities.
Costanza, all you're doing is spouting gender-feminist mythology. There isn't a shred of evidence that likes normal testosterone to 'violence', nor is there evidence that females are inherantly non-violent.
You seem to be an ideologically driven anti-male, and an 'effeminist' to boot. If you really are a George, perhaps a removal of gonads is indicated in your case.
uhhh testosterone is a very important hormone in the body.
I agree. Low Testosterone is NOT bad. Its something the United States desperately needs LESS of!
Do you even have any understanding of biology? Anatomy? Biophysics? All people...that means both genders, need testosterone for healthy physical functioning. A boy's body is designed to begin producing more (Meaning the natural progression of his development of various elements of his endocrine system – namely testosterone) testosterone as he basically begins to exercise. Therefore is is critically important that kids get physical exercise. Thus the various sorts of programs that each US president initiates around exercise for kids since the 70's.
If kids are overweight then they likely do not exercise enough and the process is then retarded/regressed and a major growth cycle for the body is missed and can't really be made up. So the moral of the story is this:
1. Stop hating on people. Especially children.
2. Learn something about your own health and body
3. Get a clue and stop being one of the worlds greatest losers while making ridiculous comments like the ignorant one you did above that compelled me to write this in response.
Completely ridiculous assumptions. Without testosterone the human race would die out, since it is responsible for libido in BOTH males and females. Hypogonadal males die earlier, are overweight, more diabetes, heart disease, bone loss, loss of lean muscle,depression, and increased incidence of dementia.Females have 1/10the levels of testosterone in males, and it very important for them as well, for the same reasons as men.
so all we males are on drugs and act out accordingly b/c we have testosterone in coursing our veins? great logic. so do you teach "women's studies" or are you just an obese male with droopy weenie syndrome? apparently that evil testosterone hasnt affected you.just your "thinking".
Survival of the fittest would seem to imply that testosterone aint bad at all. Gaining weight to cut testosterone, to cut crime, sounds mighty dumb.
Ever heard of self-control? That is something that toddlers are supposed to learn from their parents. The problem with society today is, so many people have flunked kindergarten. (And, morality is SO old-fashioned.)
It is amazing that animals can learn just about anything when B.F. Skinner is teaching, but humans are thought to be incapable of learning, and at the mercy of their hormones and their biology. Big joke. Go watch the ants, you lazy slob.
The other question is about the BM in those included in the study: What is the threshold (of the BM) above which is expected to have lower levels of testosterone
a BMI of about 6" is indicated I think Juan.
Everyone knows that fat kids have higher estrogen,lower testosterone,in both genders.
fatty's are more girly LOLOLOLOLOL
@ pastorcal77
I think all on this page can see that you are void of any sort of intelligence what so ever. Is it true that you drag your knuckles on the ground; perhaps drinking in the second trimester?
What so ever. LOL!
Does fatness cause low testosterone or does low testosterone cause fatness? Or are fatness and low testosterone caused by some third factor like lack of exercise. The article is heavy on the sensationalism and light on the analysis. Do we want to help the kids or have fun at their expense?
I'd rather have fun at their expense and leave the complex feedback loops to the experts.
Lack of exercise retards the development and initiation of the growth process of testosterone production. They simply don't exercise enough and/or at early enough ages.
The type of food being consumed, particularly the meat with various estrogen based hormones, is part of the issue as well. But it is mostly the lack of exercise.
I have to think "fatness" is caused by being unable to keep one's hand out of one's mouth esp regards eating too many sugary carbs, sitting on your fat a$s playing vids and watching TV and lastly by letting your Mommy teach you how she thinks a man should act, ie like a man wuss who looks and acts like a woman.
aw dammit, wonder if I it's stopped growing or if losing weight in my twenties would help any... with it...
That's a very good question. I'm sure they have studies out about that as well. As far as I know from what I have learned through health classes in high school and college, sexual maturation stops with puberty. For males, puberty I believe stops at about age 16-18. Either way losing weight is beneficial for all aspects of your life. More energy, healthier heart, and decrease in the risk of diabetes are all good things for your life.
I think it's disgusting to see the amount of unneeded insults on here. It's because of people like the ones commenting on here that our country is going down the tubes.
The most important thing to do is to start getting these studies to the schools and get the obese kids help. Many of these kids suffer because the family lets them suffer. Bad diet habits are taught at home and follow kids throughout their whole life. If schools would become a little bit more involved in kids that they know are at risk at an early age we wouldn't have these problems.
I was an obese child and teenager and am speaking from first hand experience. I attended a school that was big into the "fitness program" but it stopped in gym class. There were no teachers letting my parents know that they needed to get me help. Sometimes outside sources need to get involved to let the parents know the secondary risks of being obese, not just the increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
"Many of these kids suffer because the family lets them suffer." I don't think its quite that simple. Consider the socioeconomic status of the family. Can mom and dad afford to buy organic meats and vegetables? Or are their meager wages allowing the consumption of more canned foods? What is the atmosphere of the family's environment? Does mom and dad have the time to encourage their kids to play sports (e.g. going to soccer games, picking them up and dropping them off at football practice, etc.)? Or is dad working a 12 hour shift and mom working 8 hours (but coming home to take care of the house hold chores), leaving both exhausted at the end of the day?
DUH!!! sheesh how long has it been understood that obesity affects hormones, sheesh! Of course testosterone is low in obese boys. There is a reason why obesity and ED have a direct correlation!
But not everyone is aware, as evidenced by the number of parents who do nothing to correct, or even recognize, their children's weight problems. Articles like this are an effort to get fathers on board in working to fix the problem
"'Alarming' low testosterone levels found in obese teenage boys"
Are you kidding me? Obese teenage boys are obese BECAUSE of low testosterone levels, not the other way around.
So is it the lack of testosterone and increased estrogen that may be in part causing obesity. There has been a lot of estrogen getting into food and water supplies.
GOOD! This is natural selection, the last thing we want is the fatties continuing to breed. The simple fact is, there are too many humans around. The other fact is most fat people are fat because they lack discipline. The rest suffer from genetic abnormalities. Either way society is better off getting them out of the gene pool.
American males are such nutless creatures anyways, good riddance.
HA! You are talking about at most 25% of US males the rest of us are so far superior to the rest of the planet's average male it is not even funny. Want proof, just check the stats from the Olympics. We own both the bottom 10% and the top 10% of humanity.
This is a serious issue. I see so much negativity towards girls and body image but wonder about the boys in this. Many boys in my daughter's class are overweight. Yet, it seems more socially OK for boys to be obese than girls. But we all know, it really isn't (when it comes to dates, societal judgement etc) My son plays tennis w/ some heftier boys and they can't move as quick/agile as he can. It seriously makes me sad. I see so much potential in all these young people. And it is being limited by their weight. Not just their athletic successes, but self confidence. They know it. These are the same boys that drop out of tennis or a sport after a few weeks because they are embarrassed. I see the concern in the parents faces. I have a co worker w/ an overweight 9 yo daughter and he can barely find any community resources for safe, medically guided pediatric weight loss. We all need to stop laughing about this and figure out what we can do to combat this. Low testosterone is not funny stuff people. More answers are needed. My kids are not allowed sugary drinks or dessert or lots of snacking. beyond that, I can claim no great superiority aside from genetics (dad and I are pretty slim, yes, we exercise and don't eat snacks etc.. but we aren't killing ourselves either so we may have a good metabolism too)>
Exercise and eat less.
Look up the first law of thermodynamics. Follow it and you wont get fat.
Yeah I don't allow sugary drinks for my daughter. Not only will it make her fat, but it rots kids teeth. I don't won't her to have problems with her teeth either. We allow a desert once in a while, everyone deserves a treat once in a while, but it within limits. She plays soccer, gymnastics, and swims. This helps her to be a healthy and confident kid. Fat kids are the parents fault.
In other news, water is wet.
why must we be subjected to weekly "bombshells" on the endless negative side effects of obesity? There is no upside to being fat. period.
As a kid, I was fat and had seasonal asthma from 13-25. I ate the same food as my brothers and sister and they were all skinny. In high school, I rode my bike 5 miles each way and then back up steep hills and kept the same weight. By the way, I was the eldest and worked my ass off near Scranton, PA. No fast foods back then. Kids were out during the summer. After college, I rigorously lost weight by exercise and diet. My baby brother was fat and dieted himself down recently. A sister and two brothers in their 60s are skinny and a 50ish brother is also slender. My Dad died at 91 and was skinny. He also gave me Type II Diabetes from his side of the family family and both my parents had their right hips replaced- Guess what? Two years ago at 64 I had my right hip replaced also. Coincidence or genetics?
As far as testosterone levels, I have 4 children (2 boys and 2 girls) plus 4 grand children- I have been told by several women over many years (including my wife) that my "manhood package" is bigger than normal. As I understand, my skinny brothers are also well endowed- coincidence or genetics?
I honestly believe that chemicals that are in packaging and foods- such as BPA and high fructose corn syrup)- are put there by major companies (biggest offender is the Chinese) to maximize profits. Well, look at the sky rocketing medical costs for all diseases and obesity as well. A lot of these chemicals are estrogen boosters and testosterone killers.
Pastorcal77, BTW, are you obese or skinny? Gay bashers are really gay. Could you be bashing the "fatties" because you are fat? I could care less- Hitler decided to blame the Communists, then the Jews, the mentally handicapped and then the physically handicapped for Germany's problems. Neanderthal mindsets are anethema to the majority of Americans.
You need to become more compassionate if indeed you are a Man of God! May God enlighten you!
No wonder obese men get boobs...they're losing testosterone and I bet increasing estrogen levels.
I wanted to make a response to the hateful comment that was almost no worse than a direct threat on these kids lives, but there were too many of them for me to chose from.
First of all, it is highly unlikely that any of you that are belittling these overweight kids have developed any greater than they have. Second, it is important to understand what this type of news, and future news on the same subject, actually mean. Basically, these kids lives, really are out of their hands, and it really is up to the parents to raise their kids properly so that they may develop properly.
There is some truth in blaming your parents for all of your problems kids.
Usually the only people who make fun of fat people are scrawny people, because they aren't fit either but they have the leverage over fat people as far as looks. Well guess what scrawny boy, science tells us that fat people have more matter to work with as far as muscle building is concerned, so theoretically the fat guy is always stronger than the skinny guy if both of them were to exercise as frequently as the other one.
Constantly bathing our bodies in insulin is the problem here, it turns men into women and women into men... basically...excess insulin, over a period of time, makes females convert estrogen into testosterone and males convert testosterone into estrogen.... this fact alone should tell all of us that humans are not meant to live on a plant based diet.
The government, doctors, the USDA, the ADA, etc. all need to stop telling us to eat less fat and more "healthy whole grains." Grain is is one of the many forms of sugar that we are overeating and it's making us fat and sick. Tell your teenage boy that high sugar consumption will make him less masculine and teach him what foods are actually sugar: all juices, all regular sodas, all grains, all fruits, all vegetables, all starches, all fat-free sweetened milk, etc... make both lean and fatty proteins, healthy fats, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, nut butters available in your home along with lots of less sugary veggies and fruits and watch them make better choices all on their own. Time to go back to packing lunches from home too. Don't count on the government or your doctor to give you good nutrition advice, learn for yourselves.
The moral of the story: No bad choices escape the judgement of Darwin.
No bad choices escape the wrath of Darwin.
If your child is overweight it is your job as a parent to aid in making a change. Stop buying sugary anything other then fruit. Stop buying processed carbohydrates and fried foods. These three items lead to obesity along with inactivity. If you love your child, you will help them.
More proof the liberal progressive agenda is causing the obesity epidemic. The feminizing of males is the root to all problems.
I remember while reading Victor Frankl's book on the Holocaust, Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning, that he mentioned that the people who were considered "fit" did not last very long and it was the people who were unfit that stood a far better chance of surviving starvation type conditions such as the ones that the poor unfortunates who had to undergo the horrible starvation conditions of Nazi era "Ghettos" experienced. I also remember reading reports that our country's (US) food supply is on a three day food availability "system". There is only enough food warehoused to feed our nation's populace for three days. Maybe what I read was wrong. But what if it wasn't? Studies have also shown you fare far better burning off fat when no food is available than when your body is burning off muscle. Let us hope we never have a desperate situation happen where we find out.
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I've heard from this site http://www.bio-identical-testosterone.com/ obesity may really occur to those who suffers from low testosterone! Thank for this post by the way!
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When toughness training to boost testosterone, you'll want to boost the weight as well as lower your variety of representatives, and after that focus on workouts that function a lot of muscles, such as deadlifts or squats.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgO8ivZhRe8&w=640&h=360]