Obese men can shed weight when on diet: Study

8220;We know that if you have any one of those conditions you are more likely to have any of the other two,8221; Liu said, adding 8220;And we believe these things might be interlinked in a vicious cycle8230;as you get more obese it might cause more sleep apnoea, which might drop your testosterone, and it goes around in a vicious cycle.

8220;By giving testosterone you might be able to reduce weight and improve sleep apnoea,8221; he said.

The research program requires about 70 male volunteers who are overweight, over age of 18 and have the symptoms of sleep apnoea.

Liu said the study was also aimed at producing improved weight loss programs as, he said, existing techniques were targeted at overweight women.

8220;There is a need to have particular methods that are more geared towards men, and this is one of them,8221; he said.

Testosterone is important for maintaining masculinity, muscle strength, bone strength and sperm production in men along with decreasing fat mass.

It is approved by Australia8217;s Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of testosterone deficiency, however, it is not approved for use as a weight loss treatment.