How Weight Affects Your Sex Drive—and What You Can Do About It

How Weight Affects Your Sex Drive—and What You Can Do About It Studies show that having a body mass index (BMI) that's too high or too low messes with your mojo. When you gain or lose body fat, a slew of hormones affecting your libido are thrown out of whack. High cholesterol associated with obesity can lead to plaque buildup in the blood vessels that supply the pelvic region. This slows down blood flow to the clitoris and genitals and annihilates sexual arousal. Yet even more potent than the physiological effect of your weight is how you feel about it. "[If] you focus on the way your body looks or what your partner is thinking about it during sex, you're not going to be in the mood," points out Cindy Meston, Ph.D. But there are ways to increase your libido without losing weight. You can exercise to increase your energy levels, buy foods known to increase sexual health, or use body-positive methods to be more confident in your nakedness.