Women 'have inbuilt fear of being fat'

Jim

Big Boy
Women have an inbuilt fear of being fat which is triggered when they see an overweight female stranger, but men have no such reflex, scientists say.

I think there is some truth in this personally.

LINK HERE
 
Interesting read Jim. x
 
Again, research taken at face value in the context of an 'image obsessed society'.
The triggers in the brain which are associated with identity and self-reflection, may not be responding to having a "fear" of being fat. It could also be contextualised on an evolutionary scale. When we see a fertile female who is bigger (i.e. has more energy to have and to produce offpring) we may be challenged by her. If we look at animals, male species will go for the stronger female who is more likely to successfully bear little ones - and then survive to bear more later.

So the brain triggers may not be responding to our "need to be thin" after all. It may be responding to the need to be stronger, faster, more energy efficient to be more attractive to the opposite sex.


Hmm? ;) Just a theory.
 
Hmm indeed love, that has got me thinking.
 
I'm not so sure. Plenty of men respond with disgust at "fatties", especially overweight men. They see it as a sign of weakness.
 
Yes, but I don't like to see painfully skinny women personally, the like's of Posh put me right off.
 
LOL, I wan't thinking of Hippo really, more Kelly brooks type, healthy and larger.
 
I absolutely believe that women constantly compare themselves to other women and are chasing an ideal that doesn't really exist. I'm not sure if it's genetic or psychological, but women do seem to do this more than men. Very few women actually have a real idea of how they look, and, on top of this are prone to perceive small or even non-existent flaws as being 'ugly' or even 'freakish'. This is absolutely perpetuated by things like women's (especially celebrity) magazines. I saw in 'Reveal' magazine last week a photo of Mischa Barton (must be a size 10/12 and very beautiful) wearing a slightly ill fitting and unflattering pair of trousers. They had stamped the word 'ugly' right across it.

It is absolutely shameful.
 
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A really interested study, I would definately agree with the outcomes and conclusions, Its not suprising that females are conditioned to think they way we do with the constant representation of what the ideal shape is, and the positve rewards for those who achieve this, compared to the negative responses for someone who doesnt. In our society to be skinnier is to be represented as being more beautiful and linked with success and happiness. While being larger brings unattractive and being undesireable to the opposite sex.

I saw in 'Reveal' magazine last week a photo of Mischa Barton (must be a size 10/12 and very beautiful) wearing a slightly ill fitting and unflattering pair of trousers. They had stamped the word 'ugly' right across it.

Its got totally crazy,Read a magazine last year and they were talking about how skinny she lookedand underweight,so
she puts on weight and looks healthier and now suddenly shes too fat!
 
Interesting read, sounds about right to me.
 
i can say, from my experience and understandings, i aprove of this article and say it is true.

i know a girl who is very skinny, she is of a smaller build but shes skinny and i joke around with her. she always eats little oil, always calls her self fat all the time, and even does exercise. so i asked her 'you think your fat?' she said yes, then i said 'what would you do if i called you fat?' i think she said shed kill me lol. but her best friend is a more larger person, so maybe she is always aware of her.
 
i know a girl who is very skinny, she is of a smaller build but shes skinny and i joke around with her. she always eats little oil, always calls her self fat all the time, and even does exercise. so i asked her 'you think your fat?' she said yes.

This proves that being skinny don't immunize people against weight issues. And please, don´t joke around her; that's rude and can hurt her. The same way fat people feel sad when others joke about them, skinny people also feel bad when the others joke.

Sometimes people hurt others even when they don't intend to. For example, I'm currently at 20bmi and my "friends" say that I'm looking a bit chubby (because I also have a small frame) but, ironically, when i was a at 18bmi they used to tell me I wasn't curvy enough and joked about my thin legs and it wasn't any better than what I feel now.

Back on topic: Yes, I agree that many women have a fear of being too fat, but there also many women have a fear of being too skinny. I think people just fear extremes in general.
 
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