Researchers from Duke University, part of the hospital research unit, have found through conducting interviews, that obese people, both men and women, report less satisfaction with their sex life than the general public. They report their results in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
The Study
By surveying 225 people (91men and 134) via the Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ), a document created and updated by the University of Massachusetts Medical School - Worcester, to assist researchers by providing a standard questionnaire for use throughout the field, the researchers found that obese people, on average, are less satisfied with their sex lives.
The SFQ is comprised of nine sections, all related to quality of sex: interest, desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, behavior, relationship, masturbation, and unspecified sexual problems. The volunteers were asked to complete the forms as part of a weight loss program. Participants were allowed to complete the forms anonymously and were asked to be as honest as they possibly could.
Results
After reviewing the completed forms, the research group found that while both men and women reported having less fulfilling sex lives than the general public, the results also indicated that it was a problem that was worse for the women, than the men.
The CDC defines obesity as an "adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher" and is the standard used in medical studies,
To add an additional measure to the study, the team compared the results given by the obese group to a group of cancer survivors and to a group of people considered to be general populace. They found that the obese men in the study had scores that fell between the group of cancer survivors and the general population group while the obese women's scores were lower than both groups.
Discussion
While the reasons why the obese group studied showed lower satisfaction levels with their sex lives weren't specifically given, it can be assumed that it is likely due to a variety of causes, ranging from health problems such as diabetes, to depression and self-consciousness, to difficulty with the physical act involved due to excess body mass between one or both participants.
The research group explained in their findings that it was important to conduct such research due to the fact that weight issues related to sexual satisfaction issues are rarely discussed in a doctor's office and that by giving physicians clinical results, a pathway to communication might begin to be created, allowing patients to describe problems that their doctor might be able to help them with.
Sources
- "Obese men and women report less satisfying sex life" MedicalXpress.com, viewed July 6, 2011
- Journal of Sex & Maritial Therapy, June Issue viewed July 6, 2011
- "Sexual Function Questionnaire" umassmed.edu viewed July 6,2011
Bob Yirka - Bob Yirka has written thousands of online articles and backs them up with a BS in Computer Science/MS in Information Systems Management.
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