Health experts have already offered a variety of reasons why being obese is bad for your health. But the latest finding is sure to make some people sit up and take notice. New research shows people who pack on the pounds are more likely to have sexual problems than their thinner counterparts, especially women.

Naturally, the study was conducted by the French, the long-heralded experts in the language of love.

The researchers found overweight women had more difficulty finding sexual partners than normal-weight women. The women were also four times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy. Overweight men reported a higher rate of erectile dysfunction.

The European researchers interviewed more than twelve-thousand French men and women about their sexual experiences and compared it with information about their body mass index. They found obese women – those with a body mass index higher than thirty – were thirty percent less likely to have had a sexual partner in the past year. The trend didn’t hold true for men. Fat or thin, there was no difference in a male’s ability to attract a mate.

In addition, almost seventy percent of overweight women reported having a fat sexual partner, compared with only forty percent of men. Obese women were also less likely to request birth control services and, as a result, were four times more likely to become accidentally pregnant.

Researchers say the problems are probably both physical and emotional. Obese men and women are at risk for health problems such as diabetes and urinary stress incontinence, which can make sex less pleasurable. The overweight are also more likely to suffer from depression and poor self-image.

So take care of your body. As the French will tell you, the bedroom can be a wonderful place to burn a few calories.