And on a vaguely related note…
Quarter of all men ‘too ashamed’ to strip off in front of partners
A quarter of men are so embarrassed by their bodies that they are reluctant to be naked in front of their partner, a survey claimed yesterday.
Researchers found that it is no longer just women who are overawed by the images of physical perfection they see in adverts and fashion magazines.
Half of the 3,000 British men surveyed by the scales manufacturer Tanita described themselves as fat, and one in ten said he would consider having cosmetic surgery to remove his love-handles.
Some 72 per cent said the gym-honed slender bodies on show in the media made them feel insecure about their own less-than-perfect physiques.
Brenda Mortimore, president of the Association of Fitness Instructors, said: “For a while now women have been under the impression that the ‘perfect’ look involves having a figure like a stick insect.
“It seems that notion is now spreading to men too. I would suggest lots of guys aren’t happy with how they look – when in fact they probably look fine.
“There is too much pressure on men to look perfect now.”
The survey also revealed that many men have come up with an easy solution to their body image worries – lying. One in five admitted fibbing about weight or waist size.
Foolish? At least you didn’t say I was a fool (thanks for that, at least).
Surely you must admit, though, that cultural standards and habits have a powerful influence on what people enjoy (and if you yourself can buck those things, well, good for you).
My own wife (a chronically skinny person) told me that when she was a teenager in Israel she had an Arab boyfriend, who gave her an ultimatum that if she didn’t put on some weight, he would never marry her. It works both ways, I guess.
OMFG, the fat is coming… run for your lives
#17 – Hell with that – I like the new beer flavored lard myself. Slides right down the gullet.
As a yank who has lived the past 2 years in London and traveled all over the world – you have as many fat assed lazy bastards right there on that shitty little island called England.
Get real.
One down side is not only are the brits fat – they are also ugly with bad teeth.
Now the French! those are pretty skinny people!