Cultural differences in how weight/fitness level is perceive

fittyfittybumbum

I def agree that there are some cultural differences when it comes to weight/ body appearance. Alot of my white friends, they don't like all the butt and thighs that my blk ppl are soooooo fond of. Once my friends and I commented on how fat my bball coach butt looked in her dress. It looked really, really nice lol! But what we thought was a compliment, hurt her feelings to the point of tears. I learned then I have to be extra careful at how I address ppl appearances. When my black friends and I try to lose weight...we are mostly concern with our bellies...if I lost my butt or thighs...i would be devastated. Now as far as to what this cultural difference stems from, have no clue. But it's the same as in some cultures, to have your face all tat'd up is beautiful...but here in America it's a big WTF!

BondBomb

For sure it makes a different. The black guys at my gym are always telling me not to lose my black girl features. They like me right where I am. When I am thinner I get more attention from white guys. The thing that they all should know is my size is about where I feel good. And I have invested too much money in my wardrobe not to get back into those clothes just because I had a baby. I mean..I bought my kid a shirt that says 'my moms hot' . I would hate for him to look like a liar.

MrsGoHard

I mean..I bought my kid a shirt that says 'my moms hot' . I would hate for him to look like a liar.

HA HAA! go ahead girl

Bronx_Montgomery

Okay I'm open about all this so hopefully nobody gets offended but right now I'm pretty curvyliciuos at 5'9 size "almost" 12 (wearing 12s but not all 12s fit so I'm not saying it officially) and have the hispanic and black guys all over me... and the white guys that have a thing for hispanic girls.

I usually date white guys and some of them prefer a more lean look, not so curvy, except for the ones that exclusively date latinas.

That's my experience.

For me, my ideal body or what I picture myself at is curvy and fit. My sisters and I got my momma's thick legs. I love them but want them nice and toned.

I do feel that latinas are more naturally curvy but there are the exceptions. For example, most latinas are on the shorter side and I'm at 5'9. So not everybody fits a specific mold but there are definately similarities.

I kinda have to add to this because this statement is true. Growing up in an Hispanic household we are told that we need to eat and finish our plates. Those who are skinny are considered starving and not eating enough. I think in many cultures its perceived that if you are thin you are of a lower class and can not afford food while a chubbier / thicker person is of high class and has money. When I started losing weight my mother thought I wasn't eating enough and was worried that I was thinning away LMAO

TKHappy

The majority of what I consist of...so to say...is German, Irish, and Spainish. For me it looks like I picked up the Spainish....my other siblings look like little lephrucans LOL. However, in a matter of what guys are attrached to me....there is a joke amongst my friends that if "white" guys are hitting on me they must be wasted out of their minds. I, though, am attracted to men with darker complextions....sooo maybe they sense that.

I never get "your to skinny or to fat"....but I do always hear comments about my "baby making hips"!

RunChinni

I think in many cultures its perceived that if you are thin you are of a lower class and can not afford food while a chubbier / thicker person is of high class and has money.

Yep. That is quite true. Especially in India. What you eat and how much you eat tells a lot about your upbringing.

catshark209

Its kinda funny cuz I posted this right before I went into work and I had to fit an African American bus driver today. We had to give her bigger pants to fit her butt and take in her waist, and the whole time she kept complaining about how she had a hard time finding clothes to fit and how happy she was that we could tailor her stuff down....and I told her I wish I had that problem!!! Oh it was just awesome.
I'm just glad she left happy.

And about the whole perception that the bigger one is the more money or whatever....it's so true. I know for me, my son is very lean, like me...so everyone thinks I can't afford to feed him or me lol.

newmommynewfitme

Not only is it based on cultural differences but it can vary by state also. I'm puerto rican, black, white, italian, irish and native american.... I have no booty ( so sad I know ) , my hips aren't that wide but I gotta say I have a nice rack. Now I live in Colorado ,I've gotten hit on mostly by hispanics, latinos, and white guys. My guy friends that are black have teased that my lack of "back" is a issue lol. When I visited Texas , I was told I need a little more meat by a few males....ummm I have enough meat thank you. Kansas I was a nice thick thing built for birthing babies as they put it lol.

i_love_vinegar

I've never been insulted by a man for being too thin or too big. I've always been complimented on my nice proportions. Men, women, black, latino, asian, white etc. I lived in a white area, lived in a black area, lived in south america, and live in asia now.

One thing i've noticed is that in Japan a lot of healthy weight people consider themselves fat and anorexia seems to be extremely prevalent (supposedly ~1 out of every 4 japanese women is anorexic).

Also, a lot of Americans seem confused as to the difference between "average" weight and "healthy" weight.

I think a lot of people in general have certain "types" and go for those types. Men of ALL races and backgrounds often point out the features that they find attractive -- and they all point out the same features for the most part (ex. short, thin, nice butt). If I were tall and lean I would probably attract black, latino, asian, and white men still. Just with different preferences. I have a preference for asians, and despite the "fad" to be underweight and have no curves where I live, I still have had no difficulties in dating. I think the best thing to do is work with what you've got (ex. if you are naturally curvy, don't aim to be extremely slim and vice versa).

determinedbutlazy

In Japan and China, bone thin is the standard. No muscle.
"dieting" is all fad diets and teas and herbal suppliments... or simply not eating at all. Magazines I read in Japan were full of weight loss "tips" on how to eat a minimum of calories a day. The tweenage models (between 16 and 20 years old) weighed as little as 39kg and were praised for their thinness.

Considering I was obese at the time, it made me feel like absolute **** about myself.

They also fewer qualms about being "polite" regarding weightloss. I've been told multiple times in both countries that I would be "really pretty if you weren't fat".

When I asked my ex boyfriend's mother's advice, she said very simply "stop eating."

AlayshaJ

I am pretty much average all around, average height, weight, breast size, ect. I get hit on by pretty much every ethnicity besides japanese, and korean. The only type of white guy that hits on me are ones with alot of confidence and that are buff. Black, mexican, vietnamese, cambodian, chinese, ect., are all different sizes. No skinny or fat white guys hit on me or even oogle me at the gym. Only overly confident ones. I kind of have a different looking face, as in uncommon, so maybe thats why? I'm not reallly sure.

I am horribly rude to the mexican guys that hit one me. They always do that "come hither" whistle or do that stupid click sound, *kitten* off! I always have to tell them off. Its so rude. Atleast the other races tell me im beautiful or whatever. They don't treat me like a freaking prostitute... Maybe they are just like that in Texas?

I have never had a male tell me anything about my fitness level that was negative. A lot of women on the other hand... are just plain passive aggressive and rude. All races.

pudadough

It's so funny that this has come up right now because I have really been thinking about it a lot lately as it pertains to what different men find attractive in women. One of my good guy friends is black and he can't stop going on about how gorgeous he thinks I am. He refers to me as "fit." I've tried to convince him several times that white guys never ask me out and widely perceive my weight/body type to be too chubby to be attractive.

He flatly doesn't believe me. Seriously, he straight up thinks I'm lying. I'm not. I've never been asked out by a WASP-y white dude in my life. Black, Hispanic and Italian don't seem to mind my weight at all and I get the most attention from those guys. White guys have called me fat to my face on more than one occasion.

So...there's my own experience. I think non-white gentlemen tend to like their women a little softer. Which is absolutely fine by me!

AABru

Wow. This is a great thread! I teach in a school that is primarily Black and Hispanic, and it wasn't until I started working there that I thought my body was normal. I am thick by all standards, and I grew up in a white suburb (and most of my friends were Asian or Indian). I thought I was a moose. I definately think there are different cultural preceptions about fitness and attractiveness. I have met very few men or boys who don't like a big round butt--even white guys (my husband is white and that is his favorite "part"). I have Puerto Rican friends who prefer to be a little thicker, and Asian friends who can't get thin enough. My African and Black friends like to have a "set your beer on it" butt, while the Indian woman go for a more slender curvy look. What I can say for sure is that I love, love, LOVE to see cultural differences in people. It took me 30 years to figure out that you can be big and fit, or thin and fit. That thin is not everyone's normal. That beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors and textures...I love the differences that make us all unique.

Ripken818836701

Since my thread was tagged in the OP's I fiqured I would chime in as well, Growing up in the ghetto and going to a high school were I was a minorty I had/have alot friends from different races. I think what body type men of different race's prefer might start out as cultural but economics plays huge role as well. I agree that most of the women that have posted, have black, white & latino men preferences in women nailed down atleast up until we graduated from high school (except for Asian men, dont remember any of them having girlfriends in high school or they just didnt practice PA., so I cant comment on them) But then changes took place, It seems like the more sucessfull my friends (regardless of their race) became the thinner the women they dated became, even though they never dated thinner girls in high school. My friends (regardless of race) preference in women who's economic situation stayed the same or got slightly better or worse from high school stayed the exact same as when they were in high school, And my friends preference in women (regardless of race) who's economic situation unfortunately got worse from when they were in high school stayed the same or started dating women with larger builds even though they never did in high school.