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Muhammad Aizat Zainal Alam

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does being fat an ugly thing?

In certain parts of Africa, fat people are thought to be beautiful.But, what do you think? is being fat makes an individual ugly?

Topics: obesity
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    anthony bruni 30+

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    May 15 2011: What is considered fat is culturally relative. in many parts of the states you can be thought of as skinny even if you have a couple of pounds to loose, just by being around many people who are morbidly obese. It would be interesting to compare the body mass index of the cultures you talk of, and rate what they consider fat and compare with more industrial nations where obesity is a growing problem. Also how many calories do they use. Living in a culture where calories are burned at a higher rate may make fat on some intuitive level more attractive since people know they are constantly burning calories, where as in more sedate cultures there is going to be more emphasis on loosing weight than maintaining weight.

  • Dillan Boutin

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    May 15 2011: I think that culture has a lot to do with perception of beauty. You suggested that being "FAT" was looked at as a beautiful thing in Africa. I think there is a healthy medium between "skinny and "FAT"... People are born with different body types and as hard as they might try will never be a size zero. I personally would rather a girl to be overweight than underweight. I think a certain level of "plumpness" is attractive. But the main thing to take away is that there is a supposed to be a healthy medium between "Anorexic and Obese".
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    May 14 2011: Forgot to mention, the concept of beauty has got Socio- cultural as well as economic influence.
    In some of the tribes of Africa , Obesity in women is considered to be the symbol of beauty.
    In my country among poor people (about 50% lives below poverty line) , skinnyness or slimness is symbol of poverty or mal-nourishment as they are and obesity is beauty and sign of wealth. So the film industry never picks a heroin who is skinny or slim .
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    Nicholas Lukowiak 50+

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    May 13 2011: Eating more than you need to survive is ugly.

    In history the men with a gut were considered the wealthy ones because they could afford to eat extra, some men would wear fake stomachs to attract women. Like everything else in the world ideas evolve as culture does.
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    May 13 2011: Ugliness is a matter of internal make up of people not external.
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    Thadeus Frei

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    May 13 2011: It depends are they fat because they eat donuts and watch TV all day or do they eat and have a harder time getting full but otherwise are full of intrigue and spontaneity. Sadly where I live when you are fat generally means you are one of the former but I have met many people who are fat and have still taken my awe at their character.

    On a second note there is also a distinction to be made on who is fat and who isn't. Some people have bigger bone structure and a little fat is actually healthy for them. In addition to this one must realize opinions vary on the general line between the two. If the person seems more or less healthy, even if it is above their target weight, then I think its fine.
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    Muhammad Aizat Zainal Alam 30+

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    May 13 2011: dear debra,

    i really love your comment and i think that there should be more people like you in this world =)
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    May 13 2011: Hello Muhammad, The only people who are truly ugly to me are those who are mean and cruel. The body is only the box that the gift of a person's spirit comes in. I am far more interested in the 'gift' within.
    I think that we need to see more than just a body when we judge people. People are intellectt, spirit, emotion and values as well as their bodies. I have known people who were not initially really physically attractive who became utterly fascinating and beautiful because of the way they lived their lives and the way they cared about others.
    Personally, I find a great mind incredibly attractive!
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    Tim blackburn 30+

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    May 13 2011: i would say being unhealthy is ugly.
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      May 13 2011: Hi Tim, that statement makes sense on the surface but would you call a cancer victim with a shining spirit of resolve ugly or someone with AIDS ugly? I know that you meant more like the ravages of a drug addicted body but never-the-less there is something beautiful in humanity in almost all its conditions.
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        Tim blackburn 30+

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        May 13 2011: i should probably add more to that haha. but i would say that even skinny people who are unhealthy i find unatractive. but the truth there are those who just let themselves go, and thats just hard to admire.
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          Debra Smith 200+

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          May 13 2011: I see it as wearing their pain on the outside and I feel some greater compassion when I think that way.
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      Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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      May 14 2011: yeah Tim!!! Right on the money every time
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