PUBLIC OPINION > Being Super Skinny Isn't All That
SodaHead Living
2012/06/08 22:00:00
"American Idol" original Kelly Clarkson proudly announced that she had absolutely no desire to be "super-skinny," echoing statements Adele made last year. Clarkson said, "I do cardio. I run. I strength-train using my own body weight. [But] really, what I try to instill in my fans is to be healthy and happy. I have no desire to be super-skinny." We wanted to know if other people have that desire.
We suspect many people want to be thin, or thinner, but "stick thin" indicates an extreme. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that most people claim they're free from that desire. In other words, they have healthy expectations. One commenter even wrote, "I'd rather be called fat than anorexic." But, as Clarkson said, the key is to stay happy and healthy. A desire to be stick thin can never be healthy.
Weight Affects Women
Women obviously have more societal expectations to deal with, and that was abundantly clear in the results. Women were more than twice as likely as men to say they'd felt the desire to be "stick thin." Nearly half of women had struggled with that feeling, compared to just one in five guys.
Skinny Struggles Too
We expected there to be a difference in response correlating to weight class, but we definitely didn't expect the slimmest voters to struggle the most. Skinny voters were 8% more likely than overweight voters to say they'd felt the desire to be super-skinny. Overweight people would likely be content just to lose some weight, but for some it's never enough.
Old-Timers Are Content
The desire to be attractive or accepted is timeless, but older generations were far less likely to have felt the desire to be super-skinny, even though they have decades on the younger voters. And because the question asked if voters have "ever" wanted to be stick thin, we have to assume it's a relatively new issue.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about being super-skinny. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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Jay Victoria 2012/06/08 22:31:58
+18I'm sorry, but I personally am getting sick and tired of this. If you don't think being "super skinny" is all that, then so be it. Maybe it wasn't meant for you, or in street terms, "You ain't about that life..." Have I ever felt the need to be stick thin? NOPE! Because I'm naturally stick thin. I get criticized for my size a lot, but at the end of the day there still are thousands of girls who practically kill themselves to be as thin as me. And if you DO want to be skinny, do it the healthy way. Eat well, work out, and don't over-do anything.
Today we are seeing an epidemic of such proportion that if it were recognized as what it is, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta would be hysterical.
This raging epidemic is called body dysmorphia and can be caused by literally hundreds of things. People, especially women, are being subjected to glaringly high stress to be "thin". Prior to news 24/7 and the capability of broadcasts that cover the entire earth almost immediately, the pressure was nowhere near as intense. If one was healthy there was no pressure to be much different than you were. Too thin was generally thought to be dangerous because one had no reserves to fall back on if you became ill for an extended period of time.
Yes, back in the dark ages if one wasn't "built", a woman was subject to harassment from popular, but mean, girls and insensitive boys (which meant about 99.99% of them).
The way to be now is for girls to be thin and for guys to be "ripped". I've always been above average strong for my height (5'8"), but with a 44" chest tapering down to 36" hips,...
Today we are seeing an epidemic of such proportion that if it were recognized as what it is, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta would be hysterical.
This raging epidemic is called body dysmorphia and can be caused by literally hundreds of things. People, especially women, are being subjected to glaringly high stress to be "thin". Prior to news 24/7 and the capability of broadcasts that cover the entire earth almost immediately, the pressure was nowhere near as intense. If one was healthy there was no pressure to be much different than you were. Too thin was generally thought to be dangerous because one had no reserves to fall back on if you became ill for an extended period of time.
Yes, back in the dark ages if one wasn't "built", a woman was subject to harassment from popular, but mean, girls and insensitive boys (which meant about 99.99% of them).
The way to be now is for girls to be thin and for guys to be "ripped". I've always been above average strong for my height (5'8"), but with a 44" chest tapering down to 36" hips, the best way to describe me was to say I resembled a fire hydrant. I am and have always been, a block
I have spoken to guys of all ages, from early teens to their 80's, and the consensus among men is that "thin" may be in, but it's not something that takes priority over some curves and signs a guy is with a girl. After my "age of ignorance", I met a young woman with brains and a great personality. I considered her attractive as did many of my other male acquaintances. I was lucky enough to have her say "Yes" to me 41 years ago.
I am super happy she had brains and a "great personality". She is healthy and is often taken for a woman 10+ years younger. That makes her feel good because she is actually 11 months older than me, and no one has taken me for a spring chicken in a while now.
damn , a little meat on the bone , just to hold on to ....