The "Thick" verse "Fat" debate

shan899
shan899 Posts: 40
edited January 2 in Motivation and Support
So today I was called "Thick" and I have been called this before but I never really stopped to think about it until today. To some people, thick is a good thing and means that one is simply not a "twig" and has a "little junk in the trunk". However, "Thick" for some people means "Fat" I know its sometimes a cultural thing and people of different ethnicities and upbringings have different opinions on women's bodies and what looks good.

Today, this guy I ran into downtown said that I was "thick" and cute. That was a compliment to him, but to me he called me fat and I was crushed and I couldn't stop thinking about it all day.

I think it's a tricky topic to talk about when we start to bring in the race card. You know what I mean....They say that black men and hispanic men generally prefer woman who have a "little extra meat or are curvy" and white men generally prefer women of smaller frames. I say generally because I know men have different preferences, however when we think about society as a whole and what women are taught about what different men like,this is typically what we learn.

In a way, its sort of a shame. A man was trying to compliment me, but I took it the wrong way and got so bent out of shape about it and I kept thinking "So does this mean white men think I'm fat?" Maybe it was my insecurities, or maybe it was just the way I was trained to think....

After many hours of contemplating, I decided to just take it as a compliment and move on with my day, but it was definitely some food for thought.

What's everyone else's opinion about this "thick" verse "fat" dilemma?

Replies

  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I never used "thick" to describe a woman, but I do prefer women who have a gymnastics build - which many would consider "thick."

    It's as you said: What a word means to one person can have a completely different interpretation to another. Although I've never used the word, I understand it's implication that a woman has shape and curves due to bone structure and certain distribution of lean muscle and fat mass.

    It's nice to see that you thought about it later and realized he meant it as a compliment, and not that you were fat.
  • Carol_L
    Carol_L Posts: 296 Member
    It's interesting how the word can be interpreted. Where I come from, thick has more to do with your intelligence (or lack thereof ) than body shape.
  • photojunkie28
    photojunkie28 Posts: 292
    Very tough question. I personally think I am 'thick' and curvy and not fat although I have excess fat of course....

    That being said I don't want anybody to call/see me as as either. I want to be referred to as fit by myself and others. This makes up the large part of my goal.
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    It is so open to interpretation. I always thought of thick as meaning fuller body proportion. Not necessarily fat, since it could also be from muscle.

    To me its not synonymous with curvy...as not all curvy women are thick and not all thick women are curvy.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    This is a really interesting and thought provoking post. I hope it doesn't get crushed by people taking it the wrong way.

    "Curvy" is sort of the same thing- it totally depends on a person's personal experiences whether it's going to be taken as a compliment or not. I'm probably "thick" or "curvy" to some. Probably chunky in the eyes of teenagers. Athletic to my peers. I don't really have a comment buried in here...just rambling. Glad you were able to see it from different angles. Good post!
  • ethansmug
    ethansmug Posts: 159 Member
    This sounds like one of those things that wimmins tend to blow out of proportion. If a guy had said something like "You look very lovely today" a woman will be on this board later calling him an *kitten* because by saying she looked nice "today" it suggest that she looks like a pile of crap every other day.


    This is why the only time men talk to wimmins is to politely ask them to make them a sammich.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    My view of thick vs fat. The first thing I thought of when you said thick was my trainer. I would describe her as thick. She is short and a former gymnast. She also competes (and wins) in figure competitions and has killer abs. She can look thick sometimes but she is most certainly not fat.
    I also feel that even when I am at my leanest, I am thick.
    I guess my interpretation of "thick" would be more athletic (not saying that people who aren't thick aren't athletic). I do not consider thick the same as being fat.
    I agree, interesting to see the answers.
  • MDWilliams1857
    MDWilliams1857 Posts: 315 Member
    Many guys, such as myself, prefer a woman to be thick. I just dont find really skinny to be attractive. However, words mean different things to different people so I would never tell a woman she is thick because I dont know what that means to here. Thats one of those things I just keep to myself. I might think someone is thick and therefore attractive but I wouldnt walk up and say "Hi, youre thick and cute" thats just a bit weird.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    It was a compliment. In the male vernacular "thick" simply means you're not skinny and we LIKE it!
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    My view of thick vs fat. The first thing I thought of when you said thick was my trainer. I would describe her as thick. She is short and a former gymnast. She also competes (and wins) in figure competitions and has killer abs. She can look thick sometimes but she is most certainly not fat.
    I also feel that even when I am at my leanest, I am thick.
    I guess my interpretation of "thick" would be more athletic (not saying that people who aren't thick aren't athletic). I do not consider thick the same as being fat.
    I agree, interesting to see the answers.
    A former gymnast, you say? Is your female trainer single? :tongue:
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I hear "thick", I think hardcore cottage cheese thighs. This has a lot to do with the fact that, apparently most of the guys I work with think any woman below 400 pounds at 5'1" is "thick", versus fat. I wish I were joking. It's definitely a cultural/regional thing.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    My view of thick vs fat. The first thing I thought of when you said thick was my trainer. I would describe her as thick. She is short and a former gymnast. She also competes (and wins) in figure competitions and has killer abs. She can look thick sometimes but she is most certainly not fat.
    I also feel that even when I am at my leanest, I am thick.
    I guess my interpretation of "thick" would be more athletic (not saying that people who aren't thick aren't athletic). I do not consider thick the same as being fat.
    I agree, interesting to see the answers.
    A former gymnast, you say? Is your female trainer single? :tongue:

    :D
    Unfortunately, she is very happily married to an equally buff guy. She's in my pics though (although not the best shot of her abs)
  • Pollart77
    Pollart77 Posts: 264 Member
    My view of thick vs fat. The first thing I thought of when you said thick was my trainer. I would describe her as thick. She is short and a former gymnast. She also competes (and wins) in figure competitions and has killer abs. She can look thick sometimes but she is most certainly not fat.
    I also feel that even when I am at my leanest, I am thick.
    I guess my interpretation of "thick" would be more athletic (not saying that people who aren't thick aren't athletic). I do not consider thick the same as being fat.
    I agree, interesting to see the answers.
    A former gymnast, you say? Is your female trainer single? :tongue:

    Well now even I want to check her out!

    :D
    Unfortunately, she is very happily married to an equally buff guy. She's in my pics though (although not the best shot of her abs)
  • atjays
    atjays Posts: 797 Member
    I think it has a lot to do with the difference in ethnicities ... Obviously some people deem that as appropriate to say to a girl, others know better. Same goes with "full figured" , "curvey" and the rest. There just isn't a good word to label a girl that has a nice rack and booty without insinuating that either she is fat, disproportionate or that you're a pervert for explaining all this to her lol.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    Interesting post. Being a former competitive gymnast I use to hear this at the peak of my seasons & think yes. Muscles, firm, strength, rocking body. After I stopped competing my mind changed to flabby, fat. I think it all boils down to perception.
  • jesse1379
    jesse1379 Posts: 239 Member
    In guy speak it is really quite simple. The term thick is used to describe an attractive larger woman, while fat is used to describe an unattractive one.
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
    honestly, I think this really depends on the person. Only you know if that was a compliment (sounds like it was). Thick would be an insult to me because I am not naturally a thick and/or curvy girl. I am most definitely rectangular with smallish bones, long fingers, toes, and limbs (in comparison to the other parts). So me being thick= fat. For other people thick = sexy/fine. :)

    ETA: I just want to clarify because I don't want what I wrote to come across wrong. I am not saying I have never been thick. Ha thick is why I started losing weight! To give you a sense of what I mean my profile picture shows me healthier than where I started, but on the thicker side of my ideal (and thankfully I've lost weight since taking that shot). I'm just saying I am naturally a banana/rectangle shape so (provided I am in decent shape) I don't think anyone would describe me as overly curvy or thick. This is why I would feel bad if someone said I looked thick.
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    I'm sorry, what?
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
    In guy speak it is really quite simple. The term thick is used to describe an attractive larger woman, while fat is used to describe an unattractive one.

    exactly! Being an equestrian and being surrounded by them all the time we get called "thick" quite a bit. Considering the glut, ab and leg strength competing takes I take it as a compliment
  • banshishi
    banshishi Posts: 197
    It's interesting how the word can be interpreted. Where I come from, thick has more to do with your intelligence (or lack thereof ) than body shape.

    This

    Whenever I see people referring to liking thick women, I always think they have a thing for airheads.
  • lolalena
    lolalena Posts: 5 Member
    Once a guy approached me saying, "dang girl, you be healthy." I was mortified. I just didn't know what that meant. I too, assumed it meant fat. 10 years later i still think about that comment. But i know now, it was prob a compliment.
  • toogsmom
    toogsmom Posts: 81 Member
    ok so I just searched this because i too have been called thick today! I was mortified!! Even after loosing 50 lbs i know i still have weight to lose! Of course id rather that than fat but I was like oh i know i still have weight to loose ! It hurt my feelings but apparently i was suppose to take it as a compliment!???? Just seems odd to use a term that either has to be explained or that could possibly be misinterpreted with women!! I truly have no clue ... but did find this SOMEWHAT helpful!!!
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