A negative body image may be to blame for a lackluster sex life. In a study conducted at Penn State, researchers investigated the connection between how women viewed their own attractiveness and changes they experienced in sexual satisfaction over the past decade and current sexual satisfaction.
According to study leader Patricia Barthalow Koch, an associate professor of biobehavioral health and women's studies, the success of Viagra for men has heightened the interest in similar medications for midlife women to improve sexual functioning and satisfaction. "Our results suggest that 'treatment,' via medication, of menopausal effects for this purpose seems unwarranted in light of the findings that menopausal status did not have a significant impact on the sexual responding of the women in this study."
Regardless of a woman's specific age she was more likely to consider herself more attractive when she was 10 years younger, and her feelings about her own attractiveness didn't vary significantly whether she'd experienced menopause or not. Furthermore, if a woman felt less attractive than previously, she was more likely to report a decline in sexual desire or frequency of sexual activity over the previous decade. If she felt attractive, her sexual desire, orgasm enjoyment and frequency of sexual activity increased.
The study titled "Feeling Frumpy: The Relationships Between Body Image and Sexual Response Changes in Midlife Women" involved 307 women between ages 35 and 55. Just over 99 percent of the women were Caucasian, 99 percent went to college, 83 percent were employed outside the home, and about 80 percent were married or lived with a partner.
Nearly a quarter of the women couldn't think of even one attractive feature they had, and dissatisfied with their bodies in general. The features they considered least attractive were their tummies, hips, thighs and legs. Researchers point out it's common for women to be dissatisfied with these parts of their bodies, which are affected by weight gain as they get older. Although these changes are normal, the societal and cultural standards of beauty--youth and thinness--causes many women to be anxious about aging and to develop a negative body image.
But, you don't have to succumb to a negative body image and disappearing sex life. Try these tips to develop a positive body image, improve your self esteem and your sex life.
6 Ways to Banish a Negative Body Image and Improve Your Sex Life
1. Appreciate your beautiful features. A negative body image can blot out good features you have. And everyone has a beauty. Maybe it's your lips, hands, hair, or derrière. Focusing on your best features gives you less time to obsess about those features you don't like.
2. Replace negative thoughts. According to the "Self Esteem Doc" Catherine Cardinal, Ph.D, author of A Cure for the Common Life, your inner critic is a result of all the negative comments you've heard or experienced in your life. She recommends letting go of negative thoughts and creating positive scenarios in your head. It also helps to practice daily affirmations.
3. Appreciate your abilities and achievements. Everyone has a skill or a talent. What are yours? Maybe you're compassionate, a loyal friend, or accomplished marathoner. Make a list of those things which you feel really good about and read it every day, advises Cardinal.
4. Wear comfortable, flattering clothes. Think of clothes as your second skin; you should be comfortable in them just as you should be in your own skin if you want to improve a negative body image. Don't dress to please other people, or follow a fashion trend that isn't complementary to your figure. Develop your own personal style.
5. Exercise daily. If weight gain is fuelling your negative body image, get moving. A daily workout can burn fat and tone muscles, boost your overall health, and release feel-good endorphins. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, including aerobic and weight resistance exercises.
6. Get positive reinforcement. Positive people who appreciate you won't reinforce your negative body image. Also, self-help books such as Transforming Body Image: Learning to Love the Body You Have by Marcia Germaine Hutchinson can help you appreciate your body and add the spark back into your sex life.
