What does the episode with the Lotus-eaters suggest about the kinds of problems Odysseus has with his men?

An interesting question. Specifically, that episode suggests that Odysseus' men can't control their physical responses. They simply give in to the taste and languor of the lotus. Given how long they have been traveling, and what they've been through, it also suggests a more humane explanation: they are so tired they want to escape. They've fought, they've sailed, and they just want to rest.