Does regular sexual activity impact weight? How?
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Many people are of the opinion that regular sexual activity leads to weight maintenance and can avoid a weight gain. They believe that if they due to any reason are unable to have sex, they may end up gaining some weight. Others feel that makes them gain weight. But observations and surveys have not proven these thinking types to be true. People with regular sexual activity have been seen to also gain weight and those with cessation of sexual activity due to any reason lose weight. But the other way round has been noticed. Thus, the relation between sex and weight is a complex factor. A person’s weight is determined by several other factors that might impact the ultimate weight of an individual.
Sex and weight (Source: Lybrate) |
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Sex as a moderate exercise
Sexual activity is considered as a moderate grade exercise. The mean energy expenditure during this act has been found to be approximately 3.6 kilocalories/minute. The mean intensity was 5.8 METS. Thus it is put in the list of significant activity and performing it has been linked with good physical and cardiac health. Besides, it is associated with better mental health. Studies have revealed that chances of cardiovascular events, breast and prostate cancers are decreased with it and the overall quality of life improves. But it might also be that good health promotes more sexual activity and not the other way around! The cause-effect relation needs to be established.
Other studies on this subject
In 2019, Smith et al had conducted a study on 2200 men and 2737 women. These were aged above 50 years and the mean age of the group was 68.2 years. The researchers studied the sexual activity of these recruits by a questionnaire and compared it with their weight. The participants were particularly asked about their sexual activity in the last year and last month.
50% women and 73.3% men reported that they were sexually active in the last year. But the findings revealed that more men and women who were sexually active were also overweight and obese. When sexual activity in the previous month was recorded and compared, it was seen that more obese and overweight men were sexually active compared to those who were not. Additionally, more overweight women were active in sex compared to the normal women. Thus, sexually active recruits were more in weight compared to those who were not.
The interpretation that the researchers made was that this was probably because of the long cohabitating relationship the couples gained more weight and also involved themselves in more sex. But the sexual activity was not able to counteract the weight-gaining aspect of the individuals.
Other studies also showed that couples who were on the verge of divorcing lost weight rather than gaining it because they were tense and anxious during that phase and ate less. But they did not have any sexual activity at that time. Despite that, weight gain was not noticed in them.
Does sexual activity decrease weight?
The answer cannot be a yes or a no since the relation between sex and weight is a complex one. Multiple factors come into play and take over in deciding an individual’s weight. Sex falls in the lower end of the list of these factors. The other factors include food calories intake, other physical activity, busy schedules of a person, stress levels, comorbid conditions, sexual drives etc.
Previous studies also said that obese people have decreased body image perception and also confidence and hence engage in less sexual activity. Besides, sexual arousal was said to be negatively affected with weight gain.
Thus sexual activity per se does not affect weight and other factors are primarily more important in the weight of a person.
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