I don’t agree with these guys at all:

Researchers suspect the stereotype [that overweight women have less sex] could mean overweight women get different messages than thinner women from physicians regarding pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention, and that their sexual behavior might therefore vary.

“Some medical practitioners may not do appropriate follow-up with women who are overweight; they might assume they aren’t having sex unless they are told otherwise,” said Oregon State University Professor Marie Harvey, a specialist in women’s sexual and reproductive health issues.

“Our analysis demonstrated that obese and overweight women do not differ significantly in some of the objective measures of sexual behavior compared to women of normal weight,” said Harvey’s colleague, Bliss Kaneshiro, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. “This study indicates that all women deserve diligence in counseling on unintended pregnancy and STD prevention, regardless of body mass index.”

How hard do you have to think to come up with something that bone-headed?

If members of the medical community are counseling heavier women differently because of an assumption that they don’t have much sex, then shame on them. Not just for depriving these women of good advice, but for thinking something so stupid. The world is full of people of all shapes and sizes and tastes of all sorts.

But even if the counseling is different, I really doubt that accounts for the difference.

First, I’d like to know how this study defined “overweight” or “obese.” Since the article refers to Body Mass Index, I tend to discount this study entirely. (Any system that classifies Michael Jordan during his playing days as “overweight” is suspect.) So if the article considers anyone heavier than Keira Knightly to be overweight, then just throw out the study completely.

But assuming the study is a little more reasonable on this, there are sure better explanations than the one quoted above. How about the possibility that women who obsess about their weight to the point they can’t even enjoy a meal might just be a little more high strung and less likely to enjoy life than women who are a little more relaxed about food? I have to admit that’s a borrowed theory. A friend who’s wife was overweight once explained, “You don’t want a woman that doesn’t enjoy food. A woman who doesn’t enjoy the sensual experience of eating isn’t likely to enjoy other sensual experiences.” I think he was on to something. (Granted, not all thin women are obsessive. Keira Knightly, for instance, reputedly eats like a horse.)

Here’s another shocking possibility: maybe a lot of men don’t go for bean poles. Ever think about that?

H/T: HotAir.