How much do men worry about their weight and how they look?

Question

""Imprisoned in every fat man," claimed Cyril Connolly, "a thin one is wildly signaling to be let out." Connolly, himself a literary mandarin of considerable girth, made this observation half a century ago in The Unquiet Grave (1945), but his dictum easily summarizes Hollywood's current philosophy on weight. A fat man is a failed thin one. Hollywood has taken the Duchess of Windsor's remark that "No woman can be too rich or too thin," and made it a royal decree that applies to both sexes. Our stars have never been richer or thinner.

May one lone fan raise an objection? I don't mind the eye-popping salaries. Only a cheapskate would resent eight-figure per-film fees to artists of such magnitude as Jim Carey or Julia Roberts. Where would Hollywood stars be without their mansions, ranches, and villas? What I miss are the full-figured actors of yesteryear"...

The few fat men still around seem visibly unhappy about their size. Their greatest performances mostly occur off-camera as they diet agonizingly in a vain effort to be slender. Tom Arnold does not look better thin—just older, more worn, and a little lumpy. We want our stars to radiate desire for sex, money, and adventure—not for dessert. Nowadays no one is safe. Even Godzilla had to lose his trademark beer-belly for the 1998 remake. How sad to watch movies where even the heavies are skinnies"

From O.K. You Mugs: Writers on Movie Actors
Edited by Luc Sante and Melissa Holbrook Pierson, 1999.

Answer 1

Males of any species are always more vain than the women.

Lions have manes, and male birds always have the pretty feathers.

Why? Because a woman can always always always find herself a man. Lorena Bobbit (remember her?) remarried less than a year later. Talk about a fella who's willing to run the risk, eh?

Men, on the other hand, don't have the luxury.

However, I have to disagree with you a little. I'll toss out Biggie Smalls and Fat Joe, and it's probably only hip hop rather than Hollywood, but still. I live in the south, and it seems that down here, women like a guy who can eat well and doesn't look like he ever takes the opportunity to sweat it off, and those really big muscle boys (who turn into fat guys at 26).
Although, the skinny guys do get their share.

I flipped when I developed a 32 inch waist. Now I have a 30 inch waist, and I'm never going back.

*Channels Ian Anderson* Don't wanna be a fat maaaa-aa-an. People would only think that I was just good fun.

Edit: *still singing* Roll us both down the mountain and bet the fat man'd win.

Answer 2

In general, men care less about their appearance overall than women. Single men tend to care more (it's somewhat required if you're seeking a mate) than men in a relationship.

Of course, there are exceptions; "metrosexuals" have always been around in one form or another, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

I don't think any man really WANTS to be fat, but a lot of that is genetic. Hollywood is a poor example, as both men and women are constantly on very unhealthy diets struggling to keep their weight unreasonably low. It *is* true that you look heavier on camera than in real life (and taller, in most cases), but the Hollywood obsession with thin has taken things way too far. Malnourished skeleton-people are NOT attractive.

These values have found their way into the mainstream, too. Many people, who live healthy, active lifestyles, are naturally heavy, just like some are naturally slim. Sure, food and lifestyle also play a big part.

Still, men, on the whole, don't care about their weight nearly as much as women, nor are they judged on their weight nearly as much, by men or women. Other characteristics are usually given more importance (confidence, success/wealth/power, etc.).

Answer 3

I think that basically all men want to be muscular but not fat because society has always discriminated against fat men (although fat women have been "in" at points in history, and even unattractive women still don't have much trouble finding a mate) and muscles and strength have always been viewed as a mark of masculinity, power, and dominance. So yeah, I think most men do worry about their bodies and want to be fit, although not all of them make their wishes come true.

Answer 4

Both the men and women I've been friends with or partners with worry about their weight and how they look. If they're honest with you, I don't see how anyone can avoid it, in a society obsessed with looks, status, and money. My friends don't worry about the status or money (except how to pay the bills), but everyone worries at various times about how they look. And I don't mean they're worrying about fashion, I mean they worry about being overweight, or losing their hair, or losing their muscle tone or strength.

As you age, your body does some nasty tricks on you, and it gets harder to look a way that you like. Many of the people I know have worked or now work outdoors, so their focus is on remaining fit and healthy. In your 50's and 60's, it gets more challenging, but it can be done.

Answer 5

We don't. Men have the opposite of anorexia... even if we're fat, we see in the mirror a handsome, muscular, fit body. We have all the political and financial power, so we don't need to think about our appearance. We have it easy.

And if it were otherwise, we certainly wouldn't admit it. Even to ourselves.

EDIT

Besides, it's scientifically proven that when a man is fat it's because he is lazy and lacks self-control, whereas women's weight problems are caused by hormonal issues, pregnancy, and self-esteem issues.

EDIT

Those self-esteem issues of course being the fault of men.

EDIT

Correction. Women are never fat. That's just a sexist judgment imposed by our male-dominated society. Men are fat though. But it doesn't matter. I mean to men. Fat men are still revolting to women. But the men still have it easy.

Answer 6

As a 215lbs guy who is trying to tone up... when I lost my 6pac at 225 I freaked... Mostly because Clothes dont fit... I did not have any energy and I wasnt happy... I mean I had fun... but the pressure gets to us just like ladies but not as drastic..

Answer 7

Most think about it a lot. Mostly what women think about them.

Answer 8

Men don't rate their own looks and bodies as importantly as women do. This is possibly instinctive as the adage goes:
'Men fall in love with what they SEE. Women fall in love with what they HEAR."
However, that doesn't mean that girls don't find fat men revolting.

Answer 9

not as much as women

Answer 10

i have never met a man that was'nt vain
its in their genes