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Slimmer Women’s Waist is Associated with Better Erectile Function in Men Independent of Age

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Abstract

Previous research has indicated that men generally rate slimmer women as more sexually attractive, consistent with the increased morbidity risks associated with even mild abdominal adiposity. To assess the association of women’s waist size with a more tangible measure of perceived sexual attractiveness (as well as reward value for both sexes), we examined the association of women’s age and waist circumference with an index of men’s erectile function (IIEF-5 scores), frequency of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI), and sexual satisfaction in a representative sample of Czechs (699 men and 715 women) aged 35–65 years. Multivariate analyses indicated that better erectile function scores were independently associated with younger age of self and partner and women’s slimmer waist. PVI frequency was independently associated with women’s younger age and women’s slimmer waist. Sexual satisfaction was independently associated with men’s younger age and slimmer waist for both sexes. Better erectile function, greater PVI frequency, and greater sexual satisfaction were associated with women’s slimmer waist, independently of both sexes’ ages. Possible reasons for the waist effects were discussed, including women’s abdominal body fat decreasing their own desire through neurohormonal mechanisms and decreasing their partner’s desire through evolutionarily-related decreased sexual attractiveness.

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Acknowledgments

The survey was supported by a grant from Eli Lilly & Co. (Czech Republic).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, PA1 2BE, UK

    Stuart Brody

  2. Institute of Sexology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Petr Weiss

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  1. Stuart Brody
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Correspondence to Stuart Brody.

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Brody, S., Weiss, P. Slimmer Women’s Waist is Associated with Better Erectile Function in Men Independent of Age. Arch Sex Behav 42, 1191–1198 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0058-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0058-9

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