Why is America so obsessed with thinness?

Question

It's very harmful to the self-esteem of millions of Americans. Why did Star Jones, Nicole Richie, Linsday Lohan, and Anna Nicole Smith have to lose weight to be considered attractive? I thought these ladies were better looking with a little meat on their bones.

If you go to a Latino or African country they admire the beauty of curvy women. For example I read a article about a Guyanese girl who noticed the diffrence between the Carribean and the West world. In Guyana, someone like Paris Hilton, Kate moss, or anyone woman built like a supermodel would be considered unattractive because of their body shape.

Answer 1

That is an interesting and salient question for our times. I think the reason for our culture’s preoccupation with thinness, and other parts of the world’s appreciation of a fuller form, can be attributed to two things.

First, the USA, being the foremost in medical science, has a population that is relatively well informed, with respect to the rest of the world, regarding what is good for our health (though we haven’t been that good about following it). That makes most of the population keenly aware of what the medical weight standards are for a person. Hence we have an obsession to always attain that standard, regardless of our inherent frames. Other countries, were being sizable is attractive, may not be as cognizant of these medical guidelines.

Secondly, as cultures, we collectively strive for things that are hard to attain. The harder something is to achieve the more admirable that goal becomes. In the other countries you have mentioned, where a little extra weight is considered attractive, food is either scarce, very expensive, or there is a dearth of calorie rich food, thus making being large a difficult thing to do. So traditionally, people have associated being overweight, for lack of a better term, with having an abundance of wealth. For only a man or woman who could afford rich food, or a large quantity of food could maintain a plump physique. In America the exact opposite is true. Food is in excess supply here, and relatively cheap for the average consumer, especially in relation to what people around the world have to pay for similar items. Hence, being overweight is not a sign of wealth at all. Being active and thin is a sign of wealth because it denotes that you have time for recreation.

A similar connection between wealth and beauty is apparent in other areas of physicality. In countries in the east, people who are affluent have indoor jobs and don’t do outdoor manual labor. Hence, they are of fairer skin complexion. The laborers and the destitute have no choice but to be outside, and therefore are normally darker. Guess which skin tone is the most coveted in those countries? The fair skin tone is, naturally, because it is consciously and subconsciously associated with success.

It is tough to live up to society’s standards either way. What one should be concerned with is not appeasing other people, because it is not healthy and it is an exercise in futility because you simply cannot please everyone. Strive for what is healthy for you. There are more substantive things in life to worry about than whether your body comports with the waif standards of supermodels.

Answer 2

"BECAUSE WHITE GUYS GO FOR SKINNY CHICKS WHO HAVE 12 YEAR OLD BODIES"

I'm a white guy and I want a woman to look 100% woman, not a little girl. As girls become women, their bodies fill out naturally. The breasts develop, the hips, the thighs and the butt get fuller. God created women this way. I don't think God intended women to starve themselves and look emaciated. Yuck!!! I can't think of anything more beautiful and sexy than a voluptuous and natural woman.

By the way, I thought Nicole Richie and Anna Nicole Smith looked so much hotter before losing so much weight.

Answer 3

Being overweight harms your health. If the hooha makes people loose weight then it is improving their quality of life and their health and so is a good thing. Being real skinny is hardly attractive though and I don't know why people can't think for themselves and recognize that. Whether you have high or low self-esteem is completely up to you. You have control over how you feel. The question is whether you decide to exercise that control or not. If you tell yourself that you are ugly because you are not skinny the only person you harm is yourself. Be positive, love yourself, be kind to others and the World will be good to you.
And.. please don't be distressed you are who you are - be happy with that.

Answer 4

You know - I am not sure - but Americans really are! Every little bit of added weight freaks us out.
It seems to me to be more of a caucasion thing - it's still stupid.
Now they are getting on our children.
My daugther was 42lbs when she was 2 - she didn't over eat and she was active. She is now 14 and 104lbs (she's 5'1")
I did the same thing as her - was 117lbs and 5'4" until I turned 33 - then paramenapause came into play and now I'm a size 12 -and a damn sexy one at that!! (at least my husband thinks so - he still chases me around the house - after 20 years!)

Answer 5

People are obsessed because it looks more attractive, and We celebrate it in the press. Society always focus's more attention on the unachievable. Back in the 1800's, being chubby was sought after, because the majority of society, was thin. Being chubby meant wealth, because you could afford to eat more. Today, being thin means wealth, or at least the appearence of wealth. When you think of "poor trailer trash", the first image is of an overweight person. Just my opionion, doesn't make it true.

Answer 6

Hollywood is to blame. In a competitive situation, where everybody is beautiful, everyone is talented, they threw in a monkey bone that's not that easy to attain...to separate the truly 'talented' from all the rest.

Answer 7

hollywood, commercials for beauty products, magazine ads especially.someone told me that it might be good considering the obesity problems in america, but its hurting more than helping, it creates so many food disorder victims.

Answer 8

When I'm in any public place, it's REAL hard to believe that America's obsessed with thinness (unless we're looking for it because it's rarer and rarer).

Answer 9

Well, since we have this sudden epidemic of obesity, I guess everyone wants to go to the opposite extreme.

Answer 10

Because of Hollywood.