h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The consensus here is that men like women with curves. Supermodels and television stars don't have curves, unless they manufacture them (Pam Anderson, anyone?). Ergo, thin is not in.

The problem I find these days, as I think someone's already said, is that the 'ideal' of beauty these days is so often a Western one. I'm half-Chinese, half-English, but I look almost entirely un-white: round face, very little body hair, high cheekbones, straight black hair and no arse. I spend most of my time in England, I have an English accent and an English name, but people always tell me I look 'exotic', which bugs me no end. However, I have two rather Western characteristics: I have breasts and real eyebrows (Chinese people, in the main, are amazingly unhairy, unfortunately extending to the eyebrows. My aunt has hers tattooed on). Thus when I go back to Malaysia to visit my grandmother, I am considered something of a looker, which is a nice novelty.

However, not long ago I went shopping with a Chinese friend for imported magazines in the Chinese quarter in Birmingham. What got me was that an awful lot of the cover models had plastic surgery to make them look more Western, especially to the eyes to remove the epicanthic fold (the reason why our eyes look different). One of the models was very pale, with Westernised eyes, blue contact lenses and dyed red hair. This really frightened me. Lots of Oriental people (particularly women) are having scalpels put to their eyes to make themselves look white. Botox is popular, too: not for wrinkles, but to make wide faces slimmer and more Western in appearance. I'm ashamed to say I was quite tempted by the latter.

And onto the backside issue: I haven't got one. I cannot help this. No matter how much I eat, my body refuses to give me hips. This is amazingly annoying. I cannot buy dresses or trousers in England. I am, by most British standards, it would appear, rather unnattractive (dear boyfriend: contradict me at your peril ).

I may have to go back to Malaysia...

Plastic surgery for vanity reasons is the most horrific concept. Nobody should ever be ashamed of how they look, especially if that look is part of their culture, background and ethnicity.

Blokes will go on about actresses and models and stuff when they're down the pub, but if you look who they'd ACTUALLY choose as a partner, more often than not it'll be someone with some curves.

The reason people go on about J-Lo (who I don't personally see the big deal about, but there you go) is that it's all of a sudden "OK" and "cool" to say you're attracted to a woman with a big a*se. Even if she doesn't really have one, it's the image, and the fact that that image is becoming acceptable is a good thing

Emily: A malaysian with breasts is my idea of a great body So don't change a thing. Seriously.

I also don't like how people of the chinese race try and look more western. You saw lots of ads for skin-whitening products in Malaysia. And especially the eye-changing thing, that is permanent. I want you to stay yellow. Guys also like girls who look exotic. If a girl is considered fairly plain in Malaysia, if she went to England she might be considered a real beauty, based on her exoticness. Somebody ought to tell them that.

There was a car commercial with Brad Pitt that was banned in Malaysia. That was because they wanted more Malay-looking models in the ads. Maybe this wasn't such a bad move.

I tend to think that a fit women looks best. Reasonable muscle tone gives the curves in the right places, with just enough padding to be comfortable.
This also gives the added benefits that they are in good enough shape to do most of the things they want, and don't struggle picking up the lightest of objects.
(probably requires a fairly healthy lifestyle so they will also live longer and be less prone to disease)
Walking skeletons just look ridiculess and are very impractical.

CF

A hell of a lot of guys like the Oriental look. If you think people don't think you're attractive, then its either something else, or, most likely in my opinion, just your own paranoia talking.

As for cosmetic surgery, anything that looks fake is more or less automatically unattractive, so going down that road for vanity reasons is kind of shooting yourself in the foot.

I just want to do a little poll. Let's take a few people such as Kate Winslet, Heather Graham and Sophie Dahl. Would you people say they are too thin, too fat or sexy? And please state what gender you are.

I don't know, never met any of them in real life...

Why do you want to judge people in this way?

I`m curious about the way men and women percieve attractiveness. And how men get the blame for women starving themselves. I`ve heard several women say they thought Kate Winslet was too fat and should never have been in Titanic. While the men I know think she looked great.

OK. I'll play. Oh, and I'm a bloke (quick check)...

Heather Graham. Very pretty but too thin for my taste.

Sophie Dahl. Yum - fabulous figure. Although I hear she's succumbed to the body police these days, but I haven't seen any recent pictures.

Kate Winslet. Now you're talking.... Too fat in Titanic??? What nonsense!! I don't know any man who thinks that.

Kelli is right though - it's impossible to judge someone by the way they're presented in the media. Getting to know the personality changes the way you see a person physically too. (well, it does for me - and it works both ways too)

Make up, camera angles, stylists and all that stuff play a huge role in what we see too. If we all had a team of people who were paid to make us look good, we'd all look like stars. If you saw your ideal movie star beauty in Tesco's you probably wouldn't even recognise them.

I've said it before on this forum and I'll say it again - there is a man out there who favours every kind of woman, both appearance and character wise, but in my experience, and from talking to my friends, the majority like something to cuddle. I'm sure there are men out there who like size 6 stick insects - all power to them - it's just I don't know any.

Having someone picking at a salad while you're tucking in to steak and chips is quite off-putting.

Oh gosh,

I hate going out for a meal where my fellow ladies all moan over what they can't eat. Have a salad if your need to slim demands it, but I am happy with my curves and I am going to have a big steak, so stop putting me off with all your talk about calories and fat content!

For the record I am a big girl (UK 16-18) but since I found enjoyment in sport I am a toned rather than wobbly. I weigh more (muscle gain) but I look better and I am happier. I always find people that exercise more attractive. They have a confidence about them.

Going for lunch now!

QB