How obesity affects your sex life

Being overweight to obese can have an impact on your sex life on a number of different levels.  It involves sexual attraction and feeling sexually attractive to another.  For some people who carry excess weight, they may not feel as attractive as they like.  It’s not to say that those who are obese cannot have fantastic sex as many do.  You can still be overweight to obese and enjoy sex a lot. Much of that depends on whether you feel comfortable in your own skin.  For those who don’t, it is important for them to start finding ways to reach that level of sexual comfort to get their sexual sense of self-esteem back into their life. 

At the same time, obesity can affect sexual performance for both men and women.  The changes however are different for each gender.  Here’s how:

·      Men – A side effect of obesity in men is sexual dysfunction.  Men may suffer from erectile dysfunction and may also have heightened anxiety resulting in poor sexual performance.  For morbidly obese men, they may suffer from a condition called buried penis syndrome in which the penis is buried beneath folds of skin making it very difficult to have sex.

·      Women – Women who have a high body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher are also more likely to suffer from sexual problems.  One reason for this may be related to poor circulation in the genital area.  Depending on the degree of obesity, it may be quite difficult to actually penetrate the vagina which can lead to reduced sexual satisfaction and poor body image. 

Can sex help you lose weight?

An active sex life can burn more calories than sexual infrequency but as far as being able to use sex as a weight loss tool, is stretching it.  Depending on the length and intensity of a sexual encounter will determine how many calories you may burn.  Most estimates suggest that the average person burns roughly 85-100 calories during intercourse.  So unless a person is having sex numerous times a day, it’s not likely even a daily romp would do much for your waistline.

Will losing weight lead to better sex?

Weight loss would certainly be encouraged even though there is no guarantee it would automatically lead to better sex.  But, the benefits of weight loss would shine a positive light in other areas of your life that could spill over into the bedroom.  These include increased energy, improved mobility, and improved self-esteem and self-confidence.  Just those improvements right there would most likely have a positive effect on your love life. 

Another important contribution losing weight can lead to is a reduction in depression.  When you realize you are capable of losing weight, it can improve the way you feel about yourself boosting your body image.

Bottom line, there is no proof that changing your weight will change your sex life.  Always keep in mind that losing weight when overweight is always a worthy goal but be realistic about any expectations you may have about it too.

In the end, sexual health is an overall barometer of your health.  If you’re not healthy in body, mind, or spirit, you are not going to be healthy sexually either.