The Effect of Body Weight on Sexual Performance

Question: Can being overweight affect sexual performance?
Answer: Yes, it can. In fact, improving your sex life might just be a good reason to shed extra pounds.

Let's take a moment, though, and define our terms. A person who is overweight might have excess body weight compared to the accepted norms because of large amounts of muscle tissue. Obesity is a condition in which a person is at least 20 percent heavier than the accepted norm thanks to excess fat. This is the type of weight problem under discussion here.

A 1996 study of 94 previously obese patients who had undergone surgery to lessen their stomach's capacity for food found that 50 percent of them enjoyed sex more after losing weight. And a full 78 percent of these patients' partners reported enjoying sex more once their partner had lost weight. Forty-four percent of the patients and 40 percent of their partners noted improved orgasms after treatment for obesity. Only 27 percent of the patients felt they were attractive before surgery, while 80 percent felt more attractive afterwards; 94 percent of their partners agreed.

The study's authors don't discuss the causes for these improvements. Certainly, North American social norms hold that fat isn't sexually attractive (something that's not the case in all cultures, by the way); so many people who lose weight are likely to feel more attractive and more enthusiastic about sex. More self-appreciation and enthusiasm are bound to improve sexual enjoyment. Being overweight, though, can affect your sex life through more than just psychological factors. Good overall health is the foundation for good sex -- and obesity tends to lower overall health.

If you're overweight, you're more likely to develop blocked arteries, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, elevated cholesterol, respiratory problems, gallstones, abnormal liver function, and cancers of the cervix, uterine lining and prostate. Some of these conditions have a direct impact on sexual performance. Blocked arteries for instance, can impair circulation not only to the heart but also to the penis, contributing to impotence. The liver plays an important role in maintaining proper balance of our sex hormones, so having a stressed liver could conceivably alter libido, in both men and women. Any condition that lowers overall vitality and energy is likely to impede sexual desire and enjoyment. For the best sex, aim to keep your weight in the range at which you have the greatest health and zest for life.