I came across this article today, and found it thought-provoking.

Fat Women More Likely to Have Had Sex

November 3, 2008

Fat women are more likely to have had sexual intercourse than thin ones, research has found.

In a study of 7,000 women 92 per cent of those who were overweight had slept with a man.

The figure was only 87 per cent among those of a “normal” size.

The research, carried out by the University of Hawaii School of Medicine, contradicts previous results which suggested that larger women had a lower libido, while thinner ones were more likely to be sexually active.

It was based on the sexual histories of American women aged 15 to 44. A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 was chosen as the cut-off point between being normal and overweight.

Factors such as age, race, location, number of partners and frequency of sex were all taken into account.

However, size was the only criterion that affected the likelihood of a woman having slept with a man.

Dr Bliss Kaneshiro, who led the research, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynaecology, said: “These results were unexpected and we don’t really know why this is the case.

“Our analysis demonstrated that overweight women do not differ significantly in some of the measures of sexual behaviour compared to women of normal weight.

“This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counselling on unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, regardless of their weight.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/3371172/Fat-women-more-likely-to-have-had-sex.html

Here’s another take on the same research:

Weight Does Not Affect Sexual Activity

By Rick Nauert, Ph.D.
Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 31, 2008

New research suggests a woman’s weight does not seem to affect sexual behavior. In fact, overweight women are more likely to report having sex with men than women considered to be of “normal weight.”

The study, published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, is based on data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth that looked at sexual behavior of more than 7,000 women.

Some studies have suggested that obese and overweight women have a higher risk of unintended pregnancy than do normal weight women, according to Dr. Bliss Kaneshiro, an assistant professor at the University Of Hawaii School Of Medicine.

Although multiple factors, including contraceptive use and its efficacy, may increase the risk of unintended pregnancy among these women, sexual behavior and the frequency of intercourse could also be a factor.

Kaneshiro’s objective was to study the impact of body mass index on sexual behavior. It is important to understand this relationship because preexisting physician biases can affect how heavy women are counseled about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases prevention.

Kaneshiro studied the relationship between body mass index and sexual behavior, including sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, number of partners, and frequency of intercourse.

“Our analysis demonstrated that obese and overweight women do not differ significantly in some of the objective measures of sexual behavior compared to women of normal weight,” said Kaneshiro.

“This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counseling on unintended pregnancy and STD prevention, regardless of body mass index.”

The study seems to contradict widely held stereotypes that overweight and obese women are not as sexually active as other women. If anything, the researchers concluded the opposite seems to be true.

“I was glad to see that the stereotype that you have to be slender to have sex is just that, a stereotype,” said Oregon State University professor Marie Harvey.

Kaneshiro said the data showed that overweight women were more likely to report having sexual intercourse with a man, even when she controlled for age, race and type of residence.

Ninety-two percent of overweight women reported having a history of sexual intercourse with a man, as opposed to 87 percent of women with a normal body mass index.

“These results were unexpected and we don’t really know why this is the case,” Kaneshiro said.

Harvey said the important part to take away from the study is that physicians and others who work in women’s medical health should never make assumptions about sexual behavior based on outward appearances.

“Some medical practitioners may not do appropriate follow-up with women who are overweight, they might assume they aren’t having sex unless they are told otherwise,” Harvey said.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/10/31/weight-does-not-affect-sexual-activity/3241.html

My first reaction to the “news” that overweight women are actually able to arouse men to the point of (gasp!) having sex with them was actually surprise over the fact that, prior to this groundbreaking research, the scientific community as a whole believed that women who are not of a “normal” size (I’ll get to my feelings on “normal” in a minute) are, for lack of a better word, unfuckable.

It’s no secret that I would like to lose weight. I’m sure that the vast majority of women in this country (and probably a lot of men) would also like to. We are bombarded by images of what the ideal body looks like, an ideal that for most of us is completely unattainable, so it’s no wonder that many of us, myself included, suffer from body image issues. In fact, I suspect that the shocking revelation that fat women are indeed having sex is due to the fact that the vast majority of my gender is considered fat.

In spite of the body mass index, I find the concept of “normal” as it relates to body image meaningless. Assigning the “normal” label to swimsuit models and celebrities is unfair and irresponsible. Considering that human beings do not overwhelmingly possess the same body type, weight, size and shape, “normal” might best be applied to people who have two arms, two legs, and a head, all connected to a torso.

The first article mentions the earlier belief “that larger women had a lower libido, while thinner ones were more likely to be sexually active.” While I can imagine the short-sighted among us buying into such a ridiculous stereotype, I can’t imagine what sort of academic institution might come to such a conclusion. For the record, it’s not true, and as a woman with an almost constant libido, I’m very glad to be living proof.

The last paragraph of the first article states, “This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counselling [sic] on unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, regardless of their weight.” Wow, really? It’s like, “Let’s not bother giving the fatty birth control. No way is she getting laid.”

Many women suffer from self-esteem issues due to their weight, and unfortunately these misconceptions don’t help the situation. Any woman has the potential to be sexual. A woman who is twenty pounds heavier than what is considered “ideal” is just as likely to be sexually active or, if the findings of the University of Hawaii Medical School are correct, even more likely. In fact, it’s possible that she might be better in bed than a thinner woman. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a fact (I would hate to generalize), but certainly possible, even likely. I’d like to think it’s true in my case.

-Jill