Do women care more about food than sex

We’ve always been careful about every calorie we consume, but it seems like we’ve taken the obsession too far. Women put more effort into dieting than into their relationships, a survey by weight-loss company Atkins has found, which leads them to think more about food than sex. In the research, 1,290 women dieters across the UK touched upon their attitude towards dieting and how it affected their relationships. The results were shocking; 54 per cent of women confessed to putting more effort into dieting than into their relationships. Ten per cent revealed they would feel guiltier about straying from their diet than being unfaithful to their partner. The Indian woman But how true is this in the Indian scenario? “Most women, Indian or otherwise, do care about how they’re perceived by men and other women,” says Sujata Balakrishnan, counsellor and life coach. “A boyfriend or husband would like to believe that he is with someone who’s not too lazy to take care of herself. If women don’t take care of their bodies, this can lead to problems regarding health and depression; poor self-esteem can even affect the relationship. After all, you need to like yourself before you can expect someone else to.” For sex expert Dr Mahinder Watsa, this survey is more about the condition of women in India than about sex. “Most homemakers constantly worry about feeding their families. So she probably only has time for running the house and the kitchen. In such a scenario, food might just be the only thing on her mind,” says Dr Watsa. “Also, this study was conducted on women who diet. While following a diet, you’re depriving yourself of the food that you like. It’s a classic case of suppression leading to explosion, in which case you’d probably end up constantly thinking about food.” Eat food, make love Dancer Mallika Inasu, 31, however, finds this idea, and survey, bizarre. “Food is comforting and sex liberating. I don’t think people think about just one thing unless they’re obsessed,” she says. “If I am hungry, then I’ll probably only think about food till I satiate my appetite. Likewise, if I am in the mood for some cosy time with my boyfriend, I crave sex or physical intimacy. Having said that, sex does make me hungry, so food’s definitely on my mind post sex.”