Why thin is in July 26, 2006
Posted by Niels in : Life, the universe, and everything , trackbackIt has become quite popular to blame the media for foisting unrealistic ideals of thinness on today’s girls. But the blame may not lie with the media (at least, not entirely) but rather in our genes. Judith Anderson examined the ideal female body type across fifty-four cultures and found an interesting correlation. The more stable a culture’s food supply is, the thinner the ideal of feminine beauty becomes.
Let’s hold off on hypothesizing about why this occurs and see if we can bolster the findings with some anecdotal evidence. There has never been a society with such unfettered access to food as the United States today. And there has never been a society where the quest for thinness has become so grotesquely distorted. Anorexia and bulemia receive constant media attention, while “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” sites are just a google search away. The kings and queens of old Europe, on the other hand, were… fat. The Rubenesque subjects of Ruben’s paintings were beautiful in their time, though pudgy by today’s standards.
We’re wired to search for the best mate we can find. Most people spend a few decades looking for a partner who meets their standards. And one important qualification in a mate is their ability to provide for your offspring. It’s not that money is the most important quality in a partner, but in general, people would rather have a million dollars than not have it.
When most people in your country don’t know where their next meal is coming from, the wherewithall to make yourself fat is a lavish display of opulence. Having some meat on your bones is a status symbol. But in the U.S., the tables have turned. The caloric needs of a family of four can be met for just a few dollars a day. Some wing dings, some porkrinds, a twinkie or two, and you’re there. Health has become the luxury item that only the wealthy can afford.
Staying fit and healthy comes from healthy eating and exercise, neither of which are cheap. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables instead of junk food increases your grocery bill by an order of magnitude. Every hour spent exercising is an hour that could have been spent earning money to put food on the table. In our society, it’s expensive to be skinny.
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Don’t tell me you wouldn’t lay the pipe with a fat chick! I know you Niels!
Niels, come on now, if this were the NFL, we’d BOTH be playing for the NFC - the No Fat Chicks Conference!!! If my girlfriend ever felt the need to puke her spleen out, I’d offer to hold her hair back.
Is it really? If so many people in the third world are skinny as bones, I cannot help but wonder that they didn’t get there by lavish spending on fruits, vegetables and gym memberships.
Besides, skinny chicks have no gag reflex. ….. :)
I suffered from anorexia before. I was 78 lbs.
Being anorexic is not healthy… neither is it sexy. Anorexic people are just like walking sticks, they don’t have the curves.
I know some people who are plus size, but they still manage to be sexy by being voluptuous. it’s just a matter of how you carry yourself.
Just take a look at those anorexic models: they don’t look like models, they look sick.
What the fuck does this add to the discussion?
waaaah I was anorexic , waaaah anorexic people aren’t sexy! waaah these people are sick!
We are not a brothel for your emotions.
I wish I could call your post retarded but since you like to use latin - Res Ipsa loquitur.
Now go puke your guts out in peace and don’t bother us.