Acceptance is the key to better sex life

Fat women who accept their bodies enjoy better sexual relationships and find themselves to be more confident than before, a new study has revealed.

On the other hand, those who struggle with their body size report less sexual fulfilment and are more likely to say that men used them sexually.

The study conducted by Texas Christian University included interviewing 36 self-identified fat women. For the study, Jeannine A. Gailey enquired the participants about their body image, involvement in the size acceptance movement, and their dating and sexual histories.

"Most felt intense body shame and had unsatisfying sex lives until they began to embody fat pride," Gailey said. While 34 of the women reported that they have experienced lives of ridicule, body shame and numerous attempts to lose weight, 26 reported positive change when they embodied "size acceptance ideology."

"In other words, they went through a transition from feeling awful about their body and having less than satisfactory sex to feeling better about their bodies and sex lives," Gailey said.

Moreover, women who reported very negative feelings about their bodies claimed that they either avoided sexual relationships or had unsatisfactory relationships — sometimes with men who ridiculed them or otherwise treated them poorly.

Although Gailey claimed that it is naive to assume that the fat acceptance counters all the negative messages linked to weight issues, it still helps.

Gailey insisted that the women, who embody fat pride, could move beyond trying to change their bodies and focus on developing satisfying relationships with lovers and themselves. This study has been published in the Fat studies.

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