Is the hourglass better?-- women and men comment

[Noirhaired]

For my women's studies class, we are assigned a research paper regarding body image and I came across this website as I was browsing:

www dot femininebeauty dot info (Warning: there is nudity in the site so hopefully I haven't violated a TOS, but it's not meant to be pornographic)

While it seems to be talking about "true feminine beauty" and attacks the unhealthy images of fashion models and eating disorders, it really is misleading. As you continue reading in the site, the author talks about what "real feminine" bodies look like, and I can't help but get the impression that he thinks the hourglass figure is the only true feminine figure. I also couldn't help but get offended (of course) either.

Through my research, from what I can tell there are universal physical features that are coveted or seen as most attractive. For women, it's a small nose, large eyes, soft jaw, full lips, small waist-hip ratio, and sizeable breasts. An hourglass figure is ideal. Apparently, biology has determined this.

But what if you don't have those features? Are you ugly? Are you less than a woman? Are you basically unable to have children?

I can't help but feel that I'm inadequate, or that I must not be "feminine enough" because I don't embody all of those characteristics. I'm of Indian descent so my nose is definately not small, but it's not huge either. My body is not an hourglass-- if anything, I have a "manly body"-- broad shoulders, small hips, big thighs, and nonexistent waist.

While I'm all for being physically fit and taking care of yourself, no matter what some women do, they will never fit into the hourglass ideal. Their bodies are just made that way.

What angers me a lot about that site is how the author tries to take scientific evidence to make his claims but fails to understand that in order to truly determine whether or not someone has higher levels of a hormone or another, a medical examination needs to be done for each individual. I've read the comments portion of the site and this guy seems to think he knows everything about being feminine and being a woman.

Considering biology, if the hourglass figure is most ideal and attractive, does that mean we have no control over what we see as attractive? I really resent how this guy makes the hourglass figure out to be better than any other kind of figure out there.

After seeing this site, it's no wonder many women have poor self-esteem regarding their bodies.

 

[Djamila]

These features are all associated with reproduction - women with an hourglass figure, full lips, and the other features you noted are not only more fertile, but more likely to survive childbirth. This was, obviously, very important in our evolution so it's no surprise it is preferred.

On a conscious level, people have all manner of different tastes - but the hourglass figure is biological and it's hard to escape that preference.

 

[Scuba Pete]

I like normal, non-enhanced bodies. There is no need to be anything but reasonably fit. Mind you, as a Scuba Instructor I get to hang around more than my share of scantily clad women of all body types. Natural is always best.

 

[MaddLlama]

Womens bodies are all naturally different, and everyone is predisposed to a certain body-type from genetics. It is more important to be healthy, know what the healthy state of your body is, and maintain a healthy body image. To say that only women with a particular type of figure are beautiful is an unhealthy attitude, and it's what leads to the social, weight, and mental problems (like anorexia and bulemia) we have.

Yes, having wide hips is good for giving birth, but that's not something you can change. And, plenty of women of all different body types have given normal births and had normal children. So, that argument is outmoded.

 

[MaddLlama]

These features are all associated with reproduction - women with an hourglass figure, full lips, and the other features you noted are not only more fertile, but more likely to survive childbirth. This was, obviously, very important in our evolution so it's no surprise it is preferred.

What do facial features like full lips have to do with fertility or giving birth?

 

[Green Gaia]

Whatever body type the woman naturally has in healthy condition..... YUM!

 

[Djamila]

What do facial features like full lips have to do with fertility or giving birth?

Full lips are a sign of healthy estrogen levels - that's why women's lips thin as they grow older. Healthy hormone levels are a sign of fertility, so full lips are thus a sign of fertility.

A lot of these traits are indirectly linked to a woman's fertility or likelihood to survive child birth.

There are also traits that differ from region to region. Obese women, for example, are absolutely adored in many African cultures because, in these areas, obesity is a sign of prosperity. Prosperity increases a woman's likelihood of conceiving and giving birth to healthy babies in regions where famine is a normal way of life and miscarriages are common.

Among my people, Slavs - there was a study that found that women have deeper voices in regions where the weather is regularly foggy. It wasn't a slight difference - women who lived where foggy conditions were common (for example, Bosnia) had a normal vocal pitch when speaking that was three octaves deeper than women who lives in regions where foggy conditions were not common (for example, Belarus). Why? Who knows... the study said women being able to successfully call their men back from hunts during the medieval era might've had something to do with it - deeper voices travelled better, and the ability to bring their men home improved their chances of survival in a variety of ways.

Jews in the Balkans are, on average, roughly 11 inches taller than Jews in Israel. The reason for this is obvious enough - they live among Slavs, who are also that tall. The height difference is accounted for through mixing between Jews and Slavs, and also a preference among Jews for women of a "normal" height in this part of the world.

So you have all these weird traits that are somehow related to reproduction.

 

[Noirhaired]

Womens bodies are all naturally different, and everyone is predisposed to a certain body-type from genetics. It is more important to be healthy, know what the healthy state of your body is, and maintain a healthy body image. To say that only women with a particular type of figure are beautiful is an unhealthy attitude, and it's what leads to the social, weight, and mental problems (like anorexia and bulemia) we have.

Yes, having wide hips is good for giving birth, but that's not something you can change. And, plenty of women of all different body types have given normal births and had normal children. So, that argument is outmoded.

Exactly! That's what makes me so mad about this website. The author makes claims that he understands that you can't do anything about the way you were born, but he continues to proclaim hourglass figures as "better".

I also wanted to point out that while many people think the hourglass figure is ideal, very few women actually have an hourglass figure. Most women of healthy weight and fitness are actually rectangles. Take a look at this:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article328328.ece

I've also gone through a lot of weight-loss websites that showed before and after pictures of women...many of the women were obese and after they lost their weight, were almost always rectangles, but healthy mind you-- they lost a lot of body fat and gained muscle, but still looked like women. So what gives?

If the majority of women have one type of figure, why can't people accept that? I'm not saying the hourglass isn't beautiful, and I'm not saying we all think that the model-thin figure is great, but if you are naturally one figure or the other-- why is that so hard to accept?

 

[Kungfuzed]

You can't blame a man for wanting a beautiful woman any more than you can blame a woman for wanting a rich man. But even if there is a large part of the population that follows the stereotype, everyone is different, and there are quite a few people who are looking for whatever the type it is that you are, and there are others who are willing to settle for less than what they really dream about.

 

[Halcyon]

I can tell you that i find the hourglass figure more sexually appealing, but for me her personality is far more important. I woman can be the perfect body shape, for me, but if she turns out to be a b***h or is arrogant, up-herself or bigotted etc... it's an instant turn-off.

 

[MaddLlama]

Exactly! That's what makes me so mad about this website. The author makes claims that he understands that you can't do anything about the way you were born, but he continues to proclaim hourglass figures as "better".

The figure type is "better" because we've been socially conditioned to be attracted to it.

I also wanted to point out that while many people think the hourglass figure is ideal, very few women actually have an hourglass figure. Most women of healthy weight and fitness are actually rectangles.

That's why they invented corsets.

 

[Djamila]

I can tell you that i find the hourglass figure more sexually appealing, but for me her personality is far more important. I woman can be the perfect body shape, for me, but if she turns out to be a b***h or is arrogant, up-herself or bigotted etc... it's an instant turn-off.

Well, there goes any chance an Eastern European woman has of catching you - hahaha.

I don't consider myself to be a woman with an hour-glass figure - I'm too thin for that. I probably have more curves than most women here, though - but only because my hipbones are enormous. lol

But I still think the biological preference for more shapely women is there with most men. It's also hard to escape regional differences.

We're freakishly tall and thin, and look at Slavs - even though who have lived in America for centuries - and you'll find that's still a recognized fetish for Slavic men. African Americans, there for centuries as well, and still you all know there is a fetish for morbidly obese women associated with African American men.

So these things are deeply ingrained into us... seems to be instinctual for people from certain regions?

 

[Scuba Pete]

Love and sexual attraction are not the only factors that draw a mate... it kinds of reminds me of the song "I'm Special" by the pretenders:

Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my imagination

Coz I, gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention
Give it to me

Women and men will do just about ANYTHING to get a mate. They are not above lying or violence either.
​

 

[michel]

I have to say, that (for me) the hour glass figure is the most pleasing to the eye. But that is going on what I think - superficially - when first looking at a woman.

In the matter of a relationship, looks mean little. The heart is what truly has beauty, or is bereft of it.

 

[Arabis]

Exactly! That's what makes me so mad about this website. The author makes claims that he understands that you can't do anything about the way you were born, but he continues to proclaim hourglass figures as "better".

I also wanted to point out that while many people think the hourglass figure is ideal, very few women actually have an hourglass figure. Most women of healthy weight and fitness are actually rectangles. Take a look at this:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article328328.ece

I've also gone through a lot of weight-loss websites that showed before and after pictures of women...many of the women were obese and after they lost their weight, were almost always rectangles, but healthy mind you-- they lost a lot of body fat and gained muscle, but still looked like women. So what gives?

If the majority of women have one type of figure, why can't people accept that? I'm not saying the hourglass isn't beautiful, and I'm not saying we all think that the model-thin figure is great, but if you are naturally one figure or the other-- why is that so hard to accept?

Women are naturally different, this author must really have a bias to say that an hour glass figure is the most attractive. How many women do you know like this? I have to say that as a woman the way I feel most attractive is when my body is in the best shape and I am healthy. It has taken me a long long time to come to terms with the fact that I will never be someone else's ideal shape and size, but as long as I am happy with how I look and feel about myself nobody's opinion can make me feel like I am not attractive.

 

[zombieharlot]

That's why they invented corsets.

And what a great invention! I can't wait to start my waist training.

 

[Noirhaired]

Women are naturally different, this author must really have a bias to say that an hour glass figure is the most attractive. How many women do you know like this? I have to say that as a woman the way I feel most attractive is when my body is in the best shape and I am healthy. It has taken me a long long time to come to terms with the fact that I will never be someone else's ideal shape and size, but as long as I am happy with how I look and feel about myself nobody's opinion can make me feel like I am not attractive.

I honestly know only one woman who is close to an hourglass, which would be the pear/spoon shape. Her shape is only obvious when she's wearing clothes with layers, like a dress because other than that, she is very thin and muscular-- but she's naturally that way.

I would have to say that from all the women I've met who are on the scale of attractiveness and in good physical fitness/health, their body types never are obvious, but it's more so the little things such as a flat stomach, toned arms, and shapely legs that are attractive-- I think for the most part, when women start to nit-pick themselves is when things go downhill.

I also wanted to comment on a couple posts from Djamila. While yes, biologically there are certain things we cannot help, I find it a poor argument to use biology as the primary and only basis for why the hourglass figure is the most coveted. To imply that we cannot entirely help our attraction towards it (assuming everyone finds it attractive, I actually know a few guys who aren't attracted to that) is similar to using bio-psychology to say that the reason why men are "predisposed" to cheating is because back in the day, they had to spread their seed in order to ensure survival of their gene pool. Therefore, whenever they have the urge to cheat or seek multiple partners, they can't help it. Nonesense! And it's a poor use of science.

I would have to say for the most part, people are attracted to softer features on women, and having high cheekbones (which many women seem to kill over) according to the website's author is a manly thing, does not prevent you from being attractive. Same goes for the hourglass figure. In fact, I hear very few women say "hourglass figure". What I mostly hear from women is that a "toned physique" is attractive.

 

[anders]

Hourglass is great on sculptures in India. My three longest relationships were like oversized hourglass, pear, and, for lack of a better picture, egg.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Exactly! That's what makes me so mad about this website. The author makes claims that he understands that you can't do anything about the way you were born, but he continues to proclaim hourglass figures as "better".

I also wanted to point out that while many people think the hourglass figure is ideal, very few women actually have an hourglass figure. Most women of healthy weight and fitness are actually rectangles. Take a look at this:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article328328.ece

I've also gone through a lot of weight-loss websites that showed before and after pictures of women...many of the women were obese and after they lost their weight, were almost always rectangles, but healthy mind you-- they lost a lot of body fat and gained muscle, but still looked like women. So what gives?

If the majority of women have one type of figure, why can't people accept that? I'm not saying the hourglass isn't beautiful, and I'm not saying we all think that the model-thin figure is great, but if you are naturally one figure or the other-- why is that so hard to accept?

Well, I'm one, and I can tell you, it sucks. Nothing fits right.
If it fits your hips, it's too big around the waist. I can pull my jeans off and on without undoing the button or fly because they swim around my waist. Skirts, all too big at the waist. If you sew, you have to alter standard patterns to fit. If you forget, the zip in that dress isn't getting all the way to the top. The only sewing patterns I have that I can make without alteration are vintage ones from the 40's and 50's that I got from my great aunt and grandmother when they died.
The nice linen pants I got for summer are hipsters when I wear them, because even with the drawstring I can't keep them right up at my waist.
Anyone who says an hourglass is ideal has never had to buy clothes for one.

 

[Hope]

Coming from someone who simply appreciates beauty, with an artist's eye, I'd have to agree that the hourglass figure is probably the most attractive shape a woman can have. It's curves and proportions are pleasing to look at. It can't be helped.

That being said, I do not, myself, possess this shape. I am more pear-shaped. However, I have learned to accept my figure, and even enjoy it. Men still appreciate the assets I do have. After all, unless you love and accept who you are and what you look like first, no one else will. It's a woman's confidence that really attracts a man's attention and keeps it, more than her physical appearance. I can't blame men for preferring a woman with an hour-glass figure when I find certain physical features in men more appealing than others too. We're just wired that way.

But, at the end of the day, as others have said, most of us aren't looking for physical perfection----it's the personality and character of someone that makes them truly beautiful. I've been with some physically gorgeous men who were "ugly" because they treated me like crap; and I've also known some not-so-outwardly gorgeous guys whose character made them absolutely beautiful to me. I'll take the latter over the former any day!:yes:

Just accept and celebrate the body God gave you. How boring would the world be if everyone looked the same? There truly is beauty in diversity.