Under normal circumstances, people with a good appetite will have a strong sexual desire. However, under the influence of certain physiological diseases, there will be a sharp contrast between appetite and sexual desire. For some people with diabetes, their appetite may be good, but their sexual desire may be declining. Some tuberculosis patients have poor appetite but high sexual desire.

American psychological experts have found that many women often have problems with their sexual desire while having abnormal diets. For example, women with anorexia are particularly prone to loss of sexual desire, pain during intercourse, vaginismus, and difficulty in reaching orgasm. Some women with bulimia are afraid that their men will discover their abnormal eating habits, so they will gradually avoid contact with men and are unwilling to establish closer emotional or sexual relationships with them. Due to self-avoidance of sexual life, they cannot get sexual satisfaction and even overeat, forming a vicious circle.

The situation of men is different, and it is difficult to understand changes in their sexual desire from the aspect of appetite. For example, when they encounter pain in life or setbacks at work, they may be in low mood and not want to eat. As the saying goes, they are "full of anger" or "too sad to eat." However, the sexual desire has not decreased at all, and even uncharacteristically, the number of sexual intercourses has increased significantly. Psychologists believe that many men try to cover up their spiritual pain by releasing their sexual desires, diverting or distracting their attention in order to obtain physical comfort.