analog

Your honesty in your opinion is good, brian1975, and helps round-out the overall tenor of the post.

As bad as it sounds, and as stereotypical as the whole "fat people are jolly" (or just that overweight people, even those slightly overweight, have a good attitude/personality) thing is, there is some thread of truth in it. I have heard from many girls, over a span of many years, that they perfer guys with a little extra on them because they're more grounded. They realize they're not "perfect", if there is such a physical description, and it gives them a different outlook on themselves and their bodies. As it happens, most of these girls then consider that body type to be "perfect", so that is an even bigger confidence-booster. All 3 of the real girlfriends i've ever had have told me that they loved my body... and i'm a stocky guy with a large frame, at my thinnest... at my heaviest, i have a little bit of a belly.

Knowing that the whole image a person tries to portray works for both females AND males, with regard to media influence, it seems perfectly natural for a girl OR a guy to be attracted to someone who doesn't "fit the mold" of what the media says is attractive. They know that person will be (much more likely to be) more solidly down to earth, and not as shallow or egotistical as others might be, even if others are only a little. I, myself, don't tend to prefer the slender, "athletic" type for women, I like a woman in good proportion. Not overweight, just a normal-sized woman. The media-portrayed "ideal" of the slender, athletic type doesn't really stand out for me. I like wrapping my arms around a woman a bit more substantial than that.Not overweight, just no0t tiny.

Note: Not that there's anything wrong with small girls, been there before as well.