Fat Sex

A 14 year study was conducted among 2,528 midlife women looking at the association between weight or change in weight and sexual function. The women were followed annually for an average of 7.9 years.

The four areas of sexual function evaluated were:
desire
arousal
ability to climax
frequency of intercourse 

The baseline characteristics of the women included the following
Mean age = 45.8 yr
Mean baseline weight = 161 lbs with a mean baseline BMI =27.7
76.5% had some college education or higher
74.1% were married or living as married
63.7% reported no difficulty paying for basic necessities 

The findings showed:

• Women with higher baseline BMIs reported less frequent intercourse
• There was no association between baseline BMI and desire, arousal, or ability to climax.
• Desire and frequency of intercourse varied with year to year changes in weight (BMI): A greater than expected weight gain was associated with decreased desire and frequency of intercourse. A greater than expected weight loss was associated with increased desire and frequency of intercourse

Nackers, L.et al. "Associations between body mass index and sexual functioning in midlife women: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation" Menopause, Vol.22, No.11, 2015,1175-1181