Obese women enjoy more sex: Study

Excessive weight can result in many serious, potentially life-threatening health problems, but it may be beneficial for women’ sexual behavior, suggests a new U.S. study.

A team of researchers from Oregon and Hawaiian have suggested that fat women have more sex than those with normal weight, as a woman’s body mass does not affect her sexual desire. Their findings contradict earlier studies which indicated that overweight and obese women have less sex.

The researchers’ team, led by Dr Bliss Kaneshiro, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, and Oregon State University professor Marie Harvey, reached their findings after analyzing data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth that looked at the relationship between body mass indexdefine (BMI) and sexual behavior of more than 7,000 women.

After studying the participants’ sexual behavior, including sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, number of partners, and frequency of intercourse, Dr. Kaneshiro and team found that overweight women were more likely to report having sexual intercourse with a man.

In the survey, ninety-two percent of women with excessive weight reported having a history of sexual intercourse with a mate, while 87 percent of women with a normal body mass index reported the same.

“Our analysis demonstrated that obese and overweight women do not differ significantly in some of the objective measures of sexual behavior compared to women of normal weight,” said Dr. Kaneshiro, who reported his findings in the September issue of ËœObstetrics & Gynaecology’ journal.

He continued, Å“These results were unexpected and we don’t really know why this is the case. This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counseling on unintended pregnancy and STDdefine prevention, regardless of BMI.”

Dr. Kaneshiro’s study, which was awarded first prize at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ annual meeting this year, contradicts widely held stereotype beliefs that obesity curbs sex or affects sex life.

Some earlier studies have indicated that overweight and obese women are not as sexually active as other women. These studies have suggested that obesity affects sex drive, further dampening the desires of those who are overweight.

From the clinical point of view, obesity is typically evaluated by measuring BMI (Body Mass Index), waist circumference, and evaluating the presence of risk factors and comorbidities. According to the latest guidelines, a BMI less than 18.5 is regarded as Ëœunderweight’; a BMI between 18.5 – 24.9 is considered Ëœnormal weight’; a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is regarded as overweight; a BMI between 30 and 39.9 is considered obese and a BMI of 40 or higher is regarded as Ëœseverely (or morbidly) obese’. To work out the BMI, the weight (in kilograms) is divided by the square of the height (in meters).

Source: http://www.themedguru.com