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Beingoverweight orobese has influence on thesexuality of people in various different aspects. It can include negative aspects such asstigmatization which can be an obstacle forromantic developments,sexual dysfunction and an increased chance ofrisky sexual behavior. It can also have positive aspects in the form offat fetishism.
The number of people with obesity has greatly increased in recent decades.[1]
Childhood obesity is correlated to early puberty. Girls who go through puberty earlier are more likely to be sexually active than other girls of the same age and are more likely to becomepregnant and contractSTDs. In their teen years, increased weight can also lead to obstacles forromantic developments. A 2005 study showed that "a teenage girl’s odds for a romantic relationship… dropped 6 to 7 percent for every 1-point increase in herbody mass index."[2]Gay,bisexual andtransgender children are more likely to be obese, according to a 2020 study. Theroot cause for this is unknown.[3][4]
Being obese or overweight is stigmatized. In 2007, Substantia Jones started The Adipositivity Project, which is an annualnude photography series depicting fatcouples in a positive way to reduce the stigma.[5][6]
For many, the stigma in dating remains even after having lost weight, also due to fear of gaining weight again. According to psychology professorDavid Sarwer, the prevailing belief is that people who have never been obese are better able to control their weight.[7][8]Sex educator Laura Delarato noted that there isfetishization of fat bodies.[9] Some dating sites exclusively for fat people have been made.[10] BMI is highly correlated between romantic partners.[11]
An increased body weight can lead to an increase insex hormone-binding globulin, which causestestosterone to fail. That can cause thelibido to decrease. It can also narrow down theblood vessels, which makes it harder toclimax.Sex positions tend to be more limited.[12]
In men, it can lead toerectile dysfunction.[12]
Women in class 3 obesity experience the most impairment in sexual quality of life, with an overall lack of enjoyment of sexual activity.[12] In women, it generally leads to low self-esteem and negative self image.
Fat fetishism (and "feederism") has been described as asexual subculture,[13]sexual fetish and alifestyle.[14]
Some people consider feederism to be a part ofBDSM, because food is used as a means of control because the feeder decides what the feedee eats and how much their body changes.[13] Some fat people do happily engage in the fetishism and find fulfillment in it. Many have felt fetishism thrust on them without consent.Aubrey Gordon has rejected the notion that fat attraction is necessarily a fetish.[15] Feederism has been depicted in films like Feed and City Island, where the first was notconsensual but the latter was.[16]
Web queries onInternet pornography websites for 'fat' outpaced 'skinny'.[15] As a 33stone woman,Amanda Faye has been able to make a living out of eating for the camera.[17]
Leblouh is the practice of force-feeding women.
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| Age of consent (reform) | |
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