SEX AND FOOD. Food and sex are inextricably linked. Feeding insures survival of the individual while sexual activity insures survival of the species. Beyond biology, making love and eating share psychological attributes as two of life's greatest pleasures, both capable of providing a sense of nurturing, comfort, and being loved as well as instant gratification. Paradoxically, the two drives can also be the source of much psychological conflict, guilt, and shame. They generate anxiety in many cultures, partly because these are traits we share in common with animals.

Speaking of Food and Sex

The language we use to describe sex and food is very similar. In The Rituals of Dinner (p. 18), food anthropologist Margaret Visser describes a meal as a ritual in which "desires are aroused and fulfilled." We speak of fat, in particular, with sexual...