Body survey

What do you think about the results of our survey? Do you agree with the women or the men? Were you surprised? Were you pleased with what the men said?

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Comments

[Travis]

I'm way late to the party, but thought I would chime in anyway, just to share my tastes and ideas of what's attractive - namely, thin, fit girls with relatively small breasts, hips, and butt.

That one picture of Agyness Deyn looks super super cute, while all the women to the left look to me way too sexed-up to be my type. I want a girl who upon first glance, first impression, makes me think "wow, she is CUTE!" not "hot" or "sexy". It's just not my type. Now, I may be in the minority on this one, but I'm surely not alone. The idea of breasts being the bigger the better seems so horribly chauvinistic and reductionist to me.. surely, that's not really what guys want, is it? Isn't there something in there about aesthetically pleasing proportions? I like a girl whose curves are defined by the actual curve of her body, not dominated by her boobs and booty.

As for the whole issue of self-esteem propaganda, I am all for the feminist push to love your body as it is, to love yourself for who you are, and all of that. But, I also think that thin is attractive. I don't think you have to starve yourself to be thin, I don't think you have to in any way live an unhealthy lifestyle to be thin - forget the models; I see girls on the street all the time who look wonderful, no love handles, no extra flub anywhere, who as far as I know are living perfectly normal, healthy lives.

I myself am a guy, 5'8-10" or so and about 120-130 pounds. I'm thin. I'm real thin. But I don't diet or starve myself or anything, and very rarely get sick, which means I must be doing something right in terms of diet and exercise to be keeping my immune system up so strong. I am sure there are plenty of girls out there who, like myself, just naturally have a high metabolism, and a naturally small/thin frame. Don't go assuming that they're starving themselves, or that society or the media are pushing them into looking how they do, and don't go using these kinds of arguments as justification for being fat. Some of us like the thin girls, thank you very much.

[Just a Guy]

No real comments on whether a size 8 or a size 12 is more attractive. But I have a big issue with the statement that Men's ideal is a size 12 because that is the size of their current gf/wife.

Men weren't asked if that was their ideal, but it reflects their current reality.

Imagine if you asked men how much their monthly salary was. You would end up with about USD 2700 (GBP 2100). But that would not be their ideal, it would be what they could get in the marketplace.

Or imagine if you asked men how attractive their gf/wife was, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most beautiful). You would probably get an answer of around 5 to 7 (just my guess). But again, that would not be the men's ideal choice.

[steph]

Being a large clothing size is ok, being fat is not. If you eat healthy and get enough excercise you are perfect. It doesn't matter what size you are.

Fat=too much body fat for you height + bone structure + proportions
Size X=what clothes fit on your body

[Becky]

The people here disgust me.
I was a UK size 16, and at 5ft 10 I looked bloody good in my bikini. I am now a size 11, and I feel a lot less confident, as I now have lost my boobs and curves. I'm still a D, but seriously, what kind of pathetic, image based, sick society are we living in today?? Women SHOULD have boobs, a bum and a belly. It's not normal to have bones sticking out and it certainly isn't healthy.
Why should women who are over size 8/10 (UK) feel 'fat?'
It's bull.
I really dont know if this will get posted but take it from me. Size 12, 14, 16 is NOT fat. There are so many gorgeous women out there and why should being a stick make you any more attractive?
Get a grip and do something better with your time.
I know people who've almost died in their battle with food, so just eat healthy and exercise and get over it.
There's more important things in life. Seriously.

[Amanda]

Let's face it ladies it time to hear the music. If what your saying is true that size 12's look hot then why do they put size 8's in mens magazines and sell heaps? It's obvious men prefer thin women to fat. The kind where your arms look like broomsticks! As an overweight 16 year old girl I think it's time to suck it up that men will never like curvy women. Also can I just say that the word 'curvy' is thrown around alot! It's mainly used by fat people to feel good about themselves. My definition of curvy is someone like Beyonce Knowles! She has a well proportioned curvy hourglass body. People like Aretha Franklin are NOT curvy they are fat! This mens survey is a lie and was edited to a certain extent. I seriously think the survey should be carried out again and this time without so much bullshit.

[shahmirror]

i don't know what some of you are talking about, with the "don't encourage fat" and the "don't be mean to the skinny people", the media DOES make women who do not have that "perfect" skinny body with a tan and huge breasts feel as though they need to change themselves, pointing out that the "ideal" for women's bodies in the media is twisted is not "encouraging fat" it is simply stating the truth, it is not healthy for all women to have that body, only 98% of the population do, and it is not being mean to skinny people it is saying that the so-called perfect body is not perfect, it is unattainable and causes women to feel badly about themselves and their bodies, if you are naturally skinny..good for you! but if you exercise and eat healthily then your body is perfect

[Sadie]

Oh and one more thing I promise this is my last post, size actually doesn't dictate whether a person is fat or lean. We often associate bigger sizes with being fat and smaller sizes with being leaner. In this example, the size 8 is the leanest girl and the size 16 is the least lean (but she is not a tarb of lard) but in other cases I have seen size 14 females who are very athletic with less body fat than a flabby untoned size 8. So size certainly doesn't tell the whole story.

[Sadie]

As for ideal size this is of course completely subjective. But women often tend to think that the skinny sizes are better, while men prefer more slim-average sizes. Most men do not like super skinny or super fat women, but they don't mind a few more curves and softness to the body. Not saying being a smaller size means you can't be curvy, but some women are now starving themselves to be the smallest size possible which is obviously not healthy.

Men's ideal: UK size 8-14 (US size 4-10)
Women's ideal: UK size 6-10 (US size 0-6)

[Sadie]

Are you all american? Please bear in mind the article refers to UK sizes which are different to US sizes.

The three girls all look good at their current size because that is what suits their body type. The size 8 girl would probably look bad as a size 16 and the size 16 girl would probably look terrible as a size 8.

Girl 1: UK 12 = US 8
Girl 2: UK 8 = US 2/4
Girl 3: UK 16 = US 12/14

[Jeanne]

I am french and most of these comments kill me. How can anyone think beauty has a link with clothes size ?! I am so surprised to see women being so hard with their own bodies. Do you realize you're giving too much credits to media standards ?
I am a size 10 and I don't look like Jessica Alba but it doesn't mean I am fat or ugly... Because, luckily, the size of my clothes has not much to do with how beautiful I am. I think people (men and women) look beautiful when they like themselves, when they know they are not perfect but when they try to show what is best in them (and what is best is not only physical...). And let me remember you that the beauty standards change really often... and that luckily for all girls, same way we find our boyfriends hot, men found us beautiful too.

[anushka]

Don't encourage fat and,please,don't make excuses for people to stay fat,please! No,a size 10 or 12,or 14's not curvy,it's fat.Please,it's offensive to the slender population who's also curvy.Skinny,thin or slender doesn't necessarily mean curviless....NO! We're talking about slender,thin women WITH curves in the right places.Don't twist it,please.This propaganda is horrible to people's self perception and the way the world should look and be.Fat's not pretty,nor sexy,I'm afraid.Don't encourage fat! And a size 6 or 8 or 4 or even 2 is by no means,necessarily NOT CURVY! i'M A SIZE 2,EVEN A 0,depending on the clothes design...and i'm curvy,very.Please,promoting this "fat trend" is offensive to the rest of the world who's not.That's insensitive of you and quite ignorant.Fat's not ok,I'm sorry,but it's NOT.

[anushka]

All this is a lie and is a exaggeration.I don't buy it at all.The results were harshly modified,especially on the men's part.And,of course,they'll say they're ok with their size 14 gfs,since they've got nothing better at the moment...They take what they have available.Sorry...pfff

[Tracie]

I always think of something in my history with stories on body image like this and the images. I am an American girl, and I look like the size 12/10 model, including the height and curvy body and big breasts.

When I was in college (I'm 27), I got sick with something that at first my doctors thought was leukemia. Further testing showed it was a severe, very dangerous case of mono, and I also had been put on medication that I was allergic to that made my problems worse. Anyway, through having swollen glands in my neck and throat and really barely being able to swallow, plus throwing up what I did eat (completely unintentionally), I lost about 30 lbs off the 160 I weigh naturally. My hair was falling out in huge clumps at 130 lbs, and my doctor told me that was related to the weight loss and that I needed to AT LEAST weigh 150 lbs for optimum health. Seriously. AT LEAST. At 5 foot 10, that is a healthy weight.

At 130 lbs, he said I was too thin. I often got guys trying to give me numbers and such at that time, never since, even though my hair was a stringy mess, my eyes were sort of bleary looking, my skin lost its luster, and my clothes hung off my body. I looked culturally "right," though. I never took those numbers.

Once I recovered a good amount (almost had had to withdraw from university to recover physically), he recommended a strict diet of very healthy foods, no suger, and definitely no alcohol. I followed this very healthy regimen. And he recommended a lot of exercise to restore muscle mass and vitamins and protein shakes, etc. I decided to take exercise courses in college to help build my body in good health and restore energy. I took modern dance (1 hour 3 days a week). I took aerobics (4 days a week 1 hour). I lifted weights on my own time about 3 days a week. And I took a jogging course. I put effort into these things, and I ate exactly as my doctor presecribed, and I had to eat exactly right at the right times, too, to restore my metabolism. I took all sorts of vitamins. And I slept a regular schedule and well. By the grace of God, I got up to 150 lbs and my hair started looking pretty. My skin glowed, I felt great, and I was toned, fit, and had no flab at all. I weighed 150. My doctor encouraged me to get to 155, and I've stayed in the 155-160 range for these six years.

So being 5 foot 10, curvy, busty, and the weight I'm at was right for my body. My ideal weight is somewhere between 150 at the least and 160 lbs. But I have been pressured by ex boyfriends to lose weight, which to me is totally insane.

My husband is British, and I'm American. He definitely thinks my body is attracive as is, and he said my bone structure, height, and curviness are not "fat." I am automatically considered "plus size" by the culture, which I'm not plus size. I have about a half inch flab around my gut when I don't work out, none when I do, and I'm still 150 -160 lbs, not flabby at all. I'm either toned and 150-160 or have a tiny bit of belly flab and am 150-160. Either way, my body refuses to go under 150 no matter what I do exercise or diet wise. It doesn't go above that either. But that is considered "fat" culturally, espeically in the United States.

My husband said there's not as much pressure on women in Britain, though that pressure does grow. And he doesn't understand it. When I get a beauty magazine here, he says he is surprised no one considers a woman like me pretty enough to be photographed for one. Which he's being sweet and flattering me, but he honestly feels that way. He said a lot of very beautiful women are not included in our idea of "beauty." If my physical skeletal structure isn't small enough to be even a size 6 (size 8 British standard)... how can I possibly get down to that size? I don't understand. My actual skeleton isn't small enough for me to be a size 6 (British size 8). It's not flab or fat or anything like that. My BONES aren't that small. Seriously. Toned as I could be, I wasn't small "enough."

My husband is the one who told me my skeleton isn't small enough to be that size, and he was laughing when he said it. I dont' feel beautiful, unfortunately. I think I should. I'm going to work on that. But does anybody have any input on skeleton reduction? I don't think so!

[Stevo]

Wow,

2nd and probably last time I will post here. I was a guy who as 180lbs and considered skinny. I had woman all over me, but they just wanted me for my body. You need to be comfortable within yourself. You know if you are flabby, but if you meet a guy who likes that, great. However, sizes used to go from 2-8 and an old size 4 can't find a dress to fit her anymore, as a woman who is a size 8 now used to be a size 16. Judge your size by your height as well as your weight. Women used to be 4'10-5'4. What was a size 6 is not a size 0-2. If you are not an Amazon .... ie,, 5'11 or taller... then you should not be fooled by sizes and get some exercise. Slender woman do have curves and shouldn't be embarrassed that they are not fat.

PS It is the nipples and overall loving that counts. Heavy woman shouldn't dispare, there are many black guys who like it, as in Africa, it is a sign of wealth.

[Steven Bell]

Hey,

I am getting to be an old fart. I even have a bit of a belly now. However, I bike 3-miles everday and very firm. Am I a woman? No. With this Article, Gisele is what you should aspire to under 30. I also appreciate Agnes, but find even though Kelly has nice boobs, get some exercise. Most of my GF's have been size 4-8, but that was in the old days, and now they fit into size 0-4 size clothing...... ie... Fashion Mongols want you to feel good . I also want to say I am attracting to petite women, and realize that 5' 100 does = about 5'6 120. However, I don't woman they weigh more than old roommates who where 135..... and were male. A woman should be a woman. If you want to weigh 150 (unless you are 6'+), join the army and blow someone up. Oh, and I read the last girls chat and don't chastise her.

Steve

[dollface]

From many years of vast experience, I know that men like me better when I am my 'best' weight of around 135, fit and toned, rather than my emaciated self at 110 or my chubby self at 150 plus and flabby. I have been all of those weights and I know I am more confident when I am at my ideal weight as well, and I am sure it shows in my demeanor and general attitude on life. After all, our physicality is reflective of our inner self for most of us, in my opinion. So, however I am feeling and thinking about myself as a whole is reflected in my eating and exercise habits, etc, and let's face it when we feel better, we look better. Each woman then would have her own personal ideal weight. Hope that makes sense to some of you. Greetings from Prince Edward Island Canada

[TopCat]

Its the choice and opinion of the individual,I'm 5'8 and a size 18-20,Ikeep fit by going to the gym and walking,My Cholestrol and Blood prssure are low, I don't smoke so as for being unhealthy.....

Calling Anna a fat heifer is as bad as making comments about the size 8 model, We are all different body shapes and sizes ladies be confident in who you are as for the men making snidey comments,I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror,I'm sure none of you are perfect.

[anya]

A woman is born as a woman and a man are born as a man, and I just can't understand why women would want to looks like little boys, without hips, butt, thighs and curves.
Its so unflattering to be so skinny, and what guy doesn't want a girl with ass, hips and curves.
Just like I like a bit of meat on my man. I don't find little boys bodies attractive.

[daniel]

actually, what people are REALLY being "fed by the media" is this big is beautiful propaganda, and its obviously not working.

its not like there was some huge conspiracy that all the media centers decided to simultaneously push a certain image--tastes evolved as they found that certain things sold better. its natural selection. if there is ANY image that is being shoved down our throats it is by this big is beautiful movement.

the worst thing about it is that while they preach self acceptance and stuff like that, they simultaneously are pushing their own standard of beauty and alienating people who actually are naturally thin. my girlfriend is very thin, but she honestly eats junkfood all the time. but now the media is always telling her that she has the body of a 12 year chinese boy or some crap like that and needs to eat a sandwich. seriously, why is it okay to tell someone like my girlfriend to eat something, but its not okay to tell a fat person to put down that second serving? its a double standard.

[Sally]

*Snorts*

Maybe, just maybe, if women weren't told constantly that all they have going for them is their looks, that if you're not skinny and look like vogues definition of "pretty" you may as well kill yourself now, coz god knows you're never going to get a husband unless you're willing to go through life threatening surgery and spend hundreds of pounds a year trying to make yourself look as unnatural as possible! And that's the most important thing right ladies?

The fact that our society is telling us day in and day out how goddamn fat we are and how we should loose some weight in order for us to look more ******** to men, oh wait, I'm sorry, to feel more confident in ourselves, is only a small part of the problem. What's the problem is that our society is telling women everywhere that all that matters is how good you look. You can have a career, you can be a stay at home mum, whatever, but you better look goddamn hot while you're doing it.

Instead of telling us that it's ok to be a size 12 coz guys think that's more sexy, you should be saying that it doesn't matter. That we shouldn't rate ourselves by how ******** we are.

[/rant]

[Jane]

My previous comment was a general response to image. If we're commenting on body shape I can only say.... I have 4 children, 3 girls all very different shapes. But by far and away the most significant reaction from others to the presentation (physically) of any of my girls is to one of them. She would fit into the larger sized status imposed on us as consumers but wow! can she put it together. She has an incredible flair of combining aspects of her wardrobe to enhance her features (one may ask why does she feel she needs to do this? However...). She is comfortable with her attributes and dresses to suit her preferences. In addition she is an extraordinary human being and I think in the main this is because she has been encouraged to love herself as she is. In addition, she is also focused on health and fitness!I read a book once, I think it was called 'The Beauty Myth'. For those of you who are serious about this topic I recommend it. It's not a light read but will blow your mind!

[Jane]

Sorry but my comment is an immediate response. I haven't read through everyone's remarks. I read somewhere and I agree with it myself, that women generally dress and present themselves (depending on context) for other women not men. Its competitive out there and yes I agree many woman have a distorted view of how they should look but they are competing against women when they present themselves not always attempting to impress men. Why does a women make a choice in what she wears or how she does her hair? Come on girls, we do it if it looks good to us, competes with our opposition, suits the occasion, follows 'the rules' (whatever they are?) etc etc. Take a minute to think of the motives and choices you have made when preparing yourself for an occasion, even if it was one on one and somewhere in the back of your psychie will be another women not a man.

[Beverly]

Some of you are complaining that the size twelve isn't the men's ideal because men are in love with size 2 celebs and women in magazines(Playboy). Um, are you serious? That has nothing to do with men in the population. They are being fed that and since there is pretty much nothing else to take in, they learn to think that what they are being shown is attractive. There are many cultures out there who have very different body preferences, so you can't say that men want size 2s or 4s because they buy playboy. It all depends on what the media feels is what the population should be seeing. I'm sure if playboy started showing models who are not underweight, pretty soon that would be the ideal. Get a clue.

[Luke]

Here is a my perspective as a bloke -
i bet it won't be published as it goes against the author.

Where did they find these men from for this survey? Do they like to weigh less than their girlfriends?

The size 8 is clearly the better looking in this example - but there are a lot of size 12 girls a great deal hotter than that model chosen - please do better next time!

If you want to know what men really prefer - just look at men's magasines. Full of pictures of women like the one in the middle, they wouldn't sell or make a profit if they didn't cater for the male taste. Bring on the size 8..

[The Truth Hurts]

Actually, guys who care about their own health and looks DON'T like obese (oops, the media term is "curvy" isn't it?) women. Many of us don't even care if you have an amazing chest if it is accompanied by a spare tire that would put most beer guzzling truckers to shame.
It's not about neurosis or whining about "I don't have confidence about my body because the media standard is un-attainable!", it's about having enough of a sense of self-worth that you keep yourself fit for yourself, not anyone else. You can play the blame game all you like but what it comes down to is this: Do you care enough about yourself and your health to make the effort to keep fit? If so, you probably aren't fat. If not, well, go cry into your chips and gravy about how unfair the world is.