"The ideal size"

Hmmmm. I am surprised by the asserted preferences in the article. Personally, I find that younger women (20s and 30s) who are of about average height (5'4" to 5'6") seem to look their best at around a size 8. At 40, 50 and 60 I think realistically you have to add a size to compensate for gravity...

[Unless you believe there is no such thing as gravity...the Earth just sucks...]

The one in the middle is certainly the most attractive. The one on the left actually looks bigger than the right, and I don't like her (the right's) gut.

Come on if All Three Loved Me Completely I Would Consider accepting To Be a Pologomist like what Ever is on Hbo...all three girls Photographed Look really nice and lily say what about Size four keep Healthy and just look the Best You Can is what I Would Beieve???

ryan8566-

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/19/check-this-out-movie-monsters-size-compar...

(-chuckle-)

Consider how boring how life would be if all women had the same body size. Women make up well over half of what makes life interesting. I don't know why women fuss over this so much. Sometimes, it's impossible to get through to women. As a guy, I can tell you I get really attracted by heavier set women too. I personally look for that healthy love of life, not body size or type. Come on!

Generic Part:
Pretty funny that, in a country where weight is-- from afar--- an afterthought, we can't seem to NOT think about it. So, do we care or not... I can't figure it out.

Personal Part:
My awesomely awesome wifey-poo is petite-- she's not average (in any way, actually). Wouldn't mind if she gained weight as long as it wasn't gonna risk me losing her.

Photoshopped touch-ups aside, all 3 models above look great to me.

Wow, the national average isn't at all average. That's like venus emerging from the scalop shell.

I think it all depends on the person, not a specific size.
Healthy is always the way to go.

I actually am used to being around men that glorify what the mainstream would consider plus size (Southern black girl :) ). While girls at my private school were eating saltines and apples for lunch and bulimia was common, my other friends were amped about their growing bodies and "thick" hips guys drooled over. This would be an empowering story, but now many of those girls are borderline obese and will probably battle blood pressure, diabetes, stroke risk as they age.

For many with health issues, this "ideal" of a size 12 could be just as detrimental as a 'ideal' of size 0. Screw ideals! (in this case lol). My size 4 is not represented at all in these pictures, but I'll be alright. A nice smile, confidence, and a little strut will turn heads at almost any size (and having something intelligent to say once approached won't hurt either).

yes I'm a girl Watcher....and Not ashamed To Express Compliments or have Done So Please!

12-8-18 Sounds Like a Combination Lock personally I Love a Good Size a Good heart and Good Mind and someone That Looks Fine when They Drop the Linen...now I can remeber The 579 store and found when a Gender Female Looks good they Look good i Believe it often Comes Down To Proportional

Now Goddess Venus herself Know what I Think..personally if someone is size 8 they are probably not Fat,,,the Twelve and The !6 depend upon height..also men may have large Women next To them When They are quized about the Fact

8-12-16 not To shabby if I love them they are Probably the Right Size less they Are Not...I Provide a mystery sometime you see weight video before and after and Before They Weren't attractive and After they Look attractive...the Key Be attractive

lol yeah I have to agree with Meaghan1126 a bit because in that guys generally dont really know women's sizes. Also women's sizes vary from store to store and country to country...I can wear anything from a 2 to a 9 depending on the store! Looking at those pictures it seems like its doing UK sizing because there is no what that the woman in the middle is an 8 and the woman on the right a 16. Im generally a 5 and the woman in the middle looks my size, maybe smaller.

Also from what Ive heard and read, its less about size and more about proportion. A size 10 can be completely different on different bodies! Most men like a 7 to 9 inch ratio from hip to waist. Its all about the proportions. ;)

As far as weight loss and keeping off the weight, I do it for health not to impress guys. I have a few genetic diseases so if I dont stay on the slim side I'll develop a myriad of health problems and I would rather live a long and healthy life than cater to what some people think is "the ideal size". Each person has their own individual ideal size and articles like this are just as harmful as seeing emaciated models on a runway. Women should do what is best for them, not what will make them a runway model or most attractive to men.

You know... the one the right kind of looks like Billie Piper.

what do men know about womens sizes?? I've been with my boyrfriend for 3 years and he doesn't know what size clothes I wear...mens clothes run differently so maybe some of these men thought that a 12 was a little smaller...now I'm not saying anything about bigger women but a size 12 can range from 150-200lbs depending on a womans height and hips...

Its about proportions, not overall mass. There have been many studies on "attractiveness". Youth, symmetry, and a certain,...well "perfect averageness" is what it seems to boil down to.
note; the more -spot-on-"perfect" a body seems to be, the more a slightly "off " feature,.... like REALLY big lips, seems to actually enhance the "individual beauty" effect: among the comely elite these "aberrations" stand out,... these elite flaunt the "imperfections" that are only imperfect in the less than ideal.

I like the one on the far right the best.

wow.

It would appear that I like the average. Most guys I know (including myself, 'cos I know me too) prefer bigger women rather than smaller. Despite this, most women I know wish to keep losing weight...

...they're clearly not doing it for our benefit - like make-up and fashion, it's to impress other women (and gay men).