In 2004 The Duke University Diet and Fitness Center did a study on whether obese (obesity is defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater) people enjoyed sex as much as “normal-weight” people. The researchers found that, "Obese people were 25 times as likely to report dissatisfaction with sex as the normal-weight people.” Now seven years later Duke did another study and found again that obesity may lower sexual satisfaction. Of course one would expect that a DIET CENTER would report a lower sexual satisfaction or everyone would want to eat more pie! If they found that obese people enjoyed sex more, who would want to lose weight?
The latest study reported on the findings from 91 obese men and 134 obese women, certainly not a large control group. Before enrolling in a weight loss program, the participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that addressed nine areas: interest, desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, behavior, relationship, masturbation and sexual problems.
"We found that there was lower sexual satisfaction and lower sexual quality of life among women than men, and overall sexual quality of life was low among both groups," said Dr. Truls Ostbye, a professor in the department of community and family medicine in a Duke news release.
Ostbye also said, "Our findings contribute to a growing body of research that indicates obesity is associated with reduced sexual functioning and sexual quality of life among both men and women."
The researchers got their results by comparing the answers and scores of the obese people to the scores of a group of cancer survivors studied in 2006 and a general population group. Now I am not a researcher, but if I wanted to compare findings of two groups, I would not pit fat people against cancer survivors! Not meaning to be crass, the cancer survivors might be so happy that they did not die; any kind of sex would be pleasurable to them!
Let’s be analytical here for a moment.
(1) The study concluded that fat people are less sexually satisfied than normal-weight people.
(2) What makes one sexually satisfied is the ability of one’s partner.
Obvious conclusion: So it makes no difference what the person answering the questions weighs, the body weight of their partner is what should be measured! That is who is doing the heavy-lifting!
My having an orgasm depends on if George Clooney stepped up to the plate, not what my health-o-meter reports. Duke University really faked this one.
Felicia writes:
ReplyDelete"great sex study blog. When you get to George Clooney have him bring his buddy Brad Pitt for me. Who cares if he has six kids and Angelina? Once he had me, he'd never go back to her!"