Impotence less likely for men dating women with slimmer waists

Slap-bang in the middle of January and obviously just after the typically indulgent Christmas period is never going to be the most ideal of times for anybody’s waistline as the struggle to lose the bulk gained from all that Christmas food and extra alcohol calories is still underway.

However, the results of a Scottish study on sexual dysfunction could provide some motivation for women to achieve that long-desired ‘figure 8’ body size – often associated as the pinnacle of feminine beauty. The study has possibly also shed light on the reasons why many men could desire women who boast a ‘waspish’ waist.

The results also linked the size and shape of a women’s waistline to the chances of satisfaction or the risk of her partner suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Researchers state that as humans have evolved over the years, our mind-set subconsciously correlates people who are overweight as having a much higher risk of having health problems. Ergo, men would usually perceive a woman who has a more slender waist to be in a healthier condition and an ideal mate for reproductive success.

The study included approximately 700 Czech men aged between 35 to 65 years of age and looked at how frequently they engaged in sexual intercourse. The researchers utilised the measuring scale known as the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF)-15) to determine each man’s sexual function. The IIEF-15 is comprised of a set of 15 questions regarding erectile function and sexual satisfaction.

It was ascertained that the men who experienced less occurrences of male impotence were generally younger and had partners who were also younger in age, and interestingly partners who had a slimmer waist. In addition, the same men reported to being much more satisfied with their sex life.

Lead researcher Stuart Brody, professor of psychology at the University of West Scotland, shed some light on the apparent ‘waist effect’ seen in the study and highlighted that it was ‘noteworthy’ that those women who had a more slimmer waist were deemed to be more sexually appealing  in all measures of sexual function  – regardless of the age of each partner. One theory put forth for the findings in the study was that the abdominal body fat of the woman actually diminished their own desire on a hormonal level, negatively effecting libido. Whilst another reason was a little more straightforward and was that men could simply just find a more slender frame to be more attractive.

Mr Brody said: “The most compelling explanation was that slimmer women are, on average, more sexually attractive to men (resulting in more frequent sex, stronger erections, and greater satisfaction). This is not surprising, given evolutionary selection pressures, because accumulation of excess body fat, especially abdominally, is associated with elevated risk of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neoplastic disorders. The elevated risk of such disorders could result in poorer fitness and hence less desirability as a mating partner.”

Women are not the only ones though who need to begin counting the calories. It was also found by researchers that many of the men with larger waists reported a lower sexual satisfaction compared to their svelte counterparts. This may not come as a surprise though – Medical Specialists Pharmacy have previously touched upon the causes of erectile dysfunction and obesity has been found to be one of the leading causes of male impotence along with factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse and stress.