A team of French and British researchers found that being fat can be bad for the bedroom for both men and women. Researchers surveyed sexual experiences of more than 12,000 men and women between the age of 18 and 69. The results were analyzed based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). As a rule of thumb, BMI of 18-24 is considered healthy weight, BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight and BMI of 30 or more is classified as obese.

The new study, published in British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that obese women had more trouble finding a sexual partner than normal-weight women. There was only a little difference in the case of obese men – women are more tolerant of chubby partners. Due to social pressure, most women with excess weight are not meeting men through friends, work or parties and they seek sexual partners via the Internet. The study showed that obese women were less likely to ask for birth control services and were four times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy, even though they tend to have fewer sexual partners. Heavy women run the risk of serious complications and death during pregnancy. It is reported that fat men have a higher rate of erectile dysfunction and they are at greater risk of contracting a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).

The study findings suggests that being overweight can not only harm your health (diabetes, depression and urinary stress incontinence), but it can harm your sex life as well. People who have sex on a regular basis tend to live longer with very low chance of heart disease. If you lose weight, you will feel healthy and more attractive and that could improve your sex life.