Being obese raises the risk of sexual problems among obese men and normal-weight men sexual and reproductive health at the Lonas to whether they found a sexual partner. don School of Hygiene and Tropical MediThe results were published online cine and one of the BMJ study authors. LONDON — Scientists say being fat recently in the medical journal BMJ. The Experts said the problems faced by can be bad for the bedroom, especially if study was paid for by several French govobese people were probably because of a you’re a woman. ernment agencies. combination of physical problems linked In a new study, European researchers People with a BMI of 18-24 are consid- to obesity as well as other issues, such as found obese women had more trouble ered to have a healthy weight. Those with low self-esteem and social prejudices. finding a sexual partner than their normal- a BMI of 25 or above are considered overObese people are at higher risk anyway weight counterparts, though the same weight and people for diabetes, depres“This is not a heart attack or a wasn’t true for obese men, and were four with a BMI of 30 or sion and urinary stroke...but it’s an important quality stress incontinence, times as likely to have an unplanned preg- more are classified of life factor and a public health nancy. Fat men also reported a higher rate as obese. all of which can problem.” of erectile dysfunction. Previous studies hinder sex. If people Dr. Andrew McCullough Experts interviewed more than 12,000 have found similar are extremely heavy, Associate professor of clinical urology at New they might also French men and women aged 18 to 69 trends, but researchYork University School of Medicine about their sexual experiences and anaers were surprised have muscular or lyzed the results based on their Body Mass by the discrepancy they found between skeletal problems that make sex challengIndex. the genders as to how excess weight affects ing. Obese women were 30 percent less peoples’ sex lives. The researchers found that obese likely than normal-weight women to have “Maybe women are more tolerant of women were less likely to ask for birth had a sexual partner in the last year. In tubby husbands than men are of tubby see bedroom – page 32 comparison, there was little difference wives,” said Kaye Wellings, a professor of MARIA CHENG
Associated Press Medical Writer
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Summer 2010 27