Were you an athlete back in the day and now the battle of the belly is getting the better of you? Dude, I got news for you—it may be low testosterone. It could be because you’re letting Dance Moms take away time from the gym, but I know my readers are motivated  and focused so I’m going to suggest that you may have low T. It comes with maturity and happens to everyone. The online journal Diabetes Care recently ran study results showing that 40 percent of obese participants (in the “hypogonadism in males” study) had testosterone readings lower than normal. The percentages were 50 percent in obese men with diabetes.

OK, Mr. Bear, or bodybuilding dude that is built like a WWE wrestler in their off season—I’m talking to you! Obesity in men can be categorized as 30 percent body fat, and for dudes it can also fall in the big muscle category. As body mass index rises, testosterone levels decline. This is the first study to investigate the presence of low testosterone with obesity and with diabetes, separately as well as together. However, studies worldwide have already verified the link between low T and diabetes. If you have type-2 diabetes, have your testosterone levels measured. It's a good idea for anyone over 30 to have them check for low T. If you’re one of those dudes that supplement their own testosterone with Deca or other forms of sports enhancing helpers, you are still at risk for having low T, because Deca is a testosterone mimicker and it doesn’t help to create your own testosterone. Also the new fad is HGH, but it simulates insulin receptors creating insulin resistance, increasing the odds to become diabetic, so don’t think you can eat anything you want while taking HGH or testosterone.

If you have type-2 diabetes, have your testosterone levels measured, advised by the Endocrine Society. If you don’t have diabetes but have over 26 percent body fat, ask your doctor to screen you for low T. Possible complications of low testosterone for adult men aren’t pretty: brittle bones, loss of muscle, impotence and reduced libido.

There are great ways to raise your own leaves of HGH and Testosterone. Read "A Gay Man’s Secret Grocery List for HOT ABS,"  "Hormones Aren’t Only For Trannies" and do the "The Amazing Five." It's really that easy!

Max Phoenix, an expert fitness coach, has more that 17 years developing his unique approach to fitness and lifestyle coaching. He bring his humor, integrating up-to-date techniques for lasting lifestyle transformations in his daily blog, "A Gay Man's Fitness Secrets." To read more entries, visit agaymansfitnesssecrets.com.