Is weight a deal breaker for you (pickup, second, living)
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May be a reason why many cultures around the world have this idea that Americans are wealthy?
lol probably.
I suppose that if you live in a country where the vast majority of people are skinny because they have no food a lot of the time (and when they do, they cook -mostly vegetables- from scratch which tends to be less fattening than any Burger King treat), a big belly is perceived as proof of wealth.
There are people who are physically fit who are overweight, but I have yet to meet a fit person who is also grossly fat. The former tend to be thicker and carrying more muscle which when plussed with a fine (healthy) layer of fat can bring the appearance of a thicker woman. That is attractive; muscle on a woman is very attractive.
This thread makes no differentiation on levels of "fat." Most posts seem to imply any "extra" weight is a deal breaker. There is obviously a big difference between severe obesity where mobility is a problem and carrying a few extra pounds that may or may not land in the "right" places.
There is also a pretty wide range for "overweight and active."
I suppose that if you live in a country where the vast majority of people are skinny because they have no food a lot of the time (and when they do, they cook -mostly vegetables- from scratch which tends to be less fattening than any Burger King treat), a big belly is perceived as proof of wealth.
Or an Asian country like Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc. where they are not necessarily poor, they just eat healthier compared to the USA which is one of the leaders, if not THE leader, when it comes to obesity.
I suppose that if you live in a country where the vast majority of people are skinny because they have no food a lot of the time (and when they do, they cook -mostly vegetables- from scratch which tends to be less fattening than any Burger King treat), a big belly is perceived as proof of wealth.
I was chatting with one of my friends and her boyfriend about this last night. They're trying to lose weight and I'm helping them, so we went a nice, long (3 hour) day hike in 95 degree weather... He made a really good point, which is that up until the mid/late 20th century, obesity was still generally more a sign of wealth, because it meant that you had money for food, and to be sedentary. Nowadays, if you're on your way home from work, loading up groceries for the night and anxious to just get home and relax, and you see a tanned, ripped dude in workout clothes carrying a bottle of Muscle Max and his lithe girlfriend with her yoga mat, swinging her pilates booty across the sidewalk, you assume they are probably at least upper-middle class, DINK's with time and money to spare for their fitness. Interesting paradigm shift where being "fat" has replaced being "skinny" as a sign of wealth and security...
I wish people would stop comparing America to China and Japan.
Its genetics at play here. Those people tend to have smaller bones and smaller statue,so of course they are going to be smaller and thinner. Those countries have a homogenous population.
Some people aren't fat or obese,but just have larger frames than most. Yet if you place them side by side with a thin person,they appear fat.
Since when is obesity a personality flaw? Some on here seem to think it indicates "sloth" and laziness.
Why do people criticize someone else's lifestyle?
If I want to give up one day and just sit on the couch,and become Zaftig size,dammit that's my right as an American. I shouldn't be judged for it.
I wish people would stop comparing America to China and Japan.
Its genetics at play here. Those people tend to have smaller bones and smaller statue,so of course they are going to be smaller and thinner. Those countries have a homogenous population.
To an extent. There are a plenty of obese people in Japan, Korea, and especially in the larger cities in China. First world problems... there is PLENTY of high-sodium, high-calorie, super-processed food in these countries.
The primary difference is that, as you noted, these are also homogenous societies, which have a drastically different compuslory education system, for better or worse. Getting a "my kid is too sensitive/infirm/dumb/spoiled to do anything" waiver in a public school is MUCH harder to get, and social repercussions for "sitting out" are much more harsh. On top of that, their fitness and physical education programs are more rigorous and serious, and the social stigma against being fat is way, way more harsh than in the US.
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Some people aren't fat or obese,but just have larger frames than most. Yet if you place them side by side with a thin person,they appear fat.
Yep. I'm built like a tank. Super-broad shoulders, big bones, it's pretty clear that my skeleton was intended to support a very muscular frame - I'm descended from a long line of Scandanavian warriors, lumberjacks, and cattlemen. It's one of the main reasons I decided to start bulking up: I can be skinny, but, it doesn't necessarily look as good as being built, on me.
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Since when is obesity a personality flaw? Some on here seem to think it indicates "sloth" and laziness.
Although it's not uniform by any stretch, obesity can be a personality flaw, and it also can - and often is - an indicator of sloth or laziness. I've been chunky whilst still being more active than most of my fit friends, and so I never automatically assume someone who's 20lbs overweight is just a lazy bum or anything, BUT, that said, a lot (most?) of the chubbier people out there are that way as a result of a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, rather than genetics.
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Why do people criticize someone else's lifestyle?
If I want to give up one day and just sit on the couch,and become Zaftig size,dammit that's my right as an American. I shouldn't be judged for it.
Well, for my part, I don't generally criticize people who are obese. I don't think there's a point in criticizing someone's lifestyle if they're happy with it and it's not hurting others - if someone would rather chill on the couch and watch TV, eating a slice of pizza after work instead of going to the gym and listening while listening to Faulkner or Thoreau on tape, I'll be the last person to criticize them. If you're secure enough in your own lifestyle, there's no reason to care so deeply about someone else's! Moreover, most of my interests aren't fitness related, so it's not like I can't relate to or be friends with someone who doesn't love to hit the gym.
No. My "ex" was 10-15lbs overweight and I didn't mind. Well, he was 5'11 so I guess his he didn't appear to look bigger than if he was shorter.
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He made a really good point, which is that up until the mid/late 20th century, obesity was still generally more a sign of wealth, because it meant that you had money for food, and to be sedentary. Nowadays, if you're on your way home from work, loading up groceries for the night and anxious to just get home and relax, and you see a tanned, ripped dude in workout clothes carrying a bottle of Muscle Max and his lithe girlfriend with her yoga mat, swinging her pilates booty across the sidewalk, you assume they are probably at least upper-middle class, DINK's with time and money to spare for their fitness. Interesting paradigm shift where being "fat" has replaced being "skinny" as a sign of wealth and security... 
