Right around this time each year, women around the world begin crash diets in order to get in shape for the coming summer. From low-carb diets to vegetarian and raw cleanses, it’s expected and almost encouraged for women to do whatever it takes to be bikini-ready by June. And, just as expected as the crash-dieting, is the magazine survey that shows many women would give up sex if it meant they could be skinny.

According to a study by Shape magazine this year, “68 percent of women would give up sex for at least a month in exchange for their ideal, ‘summer ready’ beach body.” BLARG! What a depressing thought, isn’t it? Especially when you think of the fact that having sex burns calories and strengthens muscles, and could easily be added to a diet and workout plan to achieve your desired bod?

Unfortunately, and we’ve discussed this topic frequently, it seems as though there are underlying issues behind women’s preference of the perfect body over sex. For example, the saturation of thin celebrities and models in magazines and movies, the overuse of Photoshop in pictorials, giving women an unattainable goal of perfection for themselves, and websites that pick apart and judge even the most perfect women’s bodies… all these depressing aspects of our culture surely add to women’s insecurity about their appearances.

We hope that women this year will learn that adding sex to their healthy-living plan can only help them on their road to a sexy, healthy body. And we hope then men in their lives will help them realize that as well!

img via disndat.blogspot