Overweight people less likely to have sex

SYDNEY - An increased waistline is not only bad for your health but can lead to decreased bedroom activity, according to researchers.

Im exploring the effects of being overweight or obese on sexual relationships, both the frequency of, and intensity of sexual activity, Frances Quirk, a professor at James Cook University said.

There are several biological and physical factors that can lead to a decrease in sexual functionality.

Sexual dysfunction is very personal and even within a relationship lots of couples find it very difficult to talk about changes. One partner may say, I think something has changed and I dont know what it is while the other is thinking theyve gone off me she said.

Excessive weight gain may lead one partner to find the other less physically attractive; a change in hormone production and lower energy levels and all these things can have a negative impact on your sex life.

Quirk said people are likely to be attracted to certain body shapes in the opposite sex.

When men see women with a small waistline and broad hips they are just primed to respond to those shapes, while women are attracted to the triangular shape of a man, she said.

These body types are indicative of hormonal and physiological characteristics that are naturally attractive, the website Science Alert reported.

With a round body shape all of those cues are hidden so what youre relying on in terms of your own sexual response to someone are subjective feelings, she said.