[actrisski]

Employing a United States sample of 5,810 Yahoo heterosexual internet dating profiles, this study finds race–ethnicity and gender influence body type preferences for dates, with men and whites significantly more likely than women and non-whites to have such preferences. White males are more likely than non-white men to prefer to date thin and toned women, while African-American and Latino men are significantly more likely than white men to prefer female dates with thick or large bodies. Compatible with previous research showing non-whites have greater body satisfaction and are less influenced by mainstream media than whites, our findings suggest Latinos and African Americans negotiate dominant white idealizations of thin female bodies with their own cultures’ greater acceptance of larger body types.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2698977/

As we stated at the outset, study results are inconclusive regarding the extent to which non-whites adhere to dominant standards of beauty. Allison et al. (1993), in their comparison of silhouette body type preferences of African American, Asian, Latino and white men, find no significant differences between race–ethnicity and body type preferences. Similarly, the community study of African American, Asian, Latino and white dieters of Cachelin et al. (1998) show no racial–ethnic differences in ratings of attractive male and female shapes. In contrast, studies show that white men prefer thin bodies for women (Greenberg and LaPorte 1996) and that they feel they would be ridiculed for dating a woman with a heavier than the ideal body type (Powell and Kahn 1995), although some studies show they equally prefer thin and average bodies (Furnham and Radley 1989; Furnham, Hester and Weir 1990). Additional studies confirm racial–ethnic differences such that African-American men are more accepting of heavier women, but white men choose thinner silhouette figures as ideal female body types, and hope their girlfriends will lose weight significantly more often than African-American men (Greenberg and LaPorte 1996). Compared to white men, African-American men prefer larger body types for women and attribute fewer negative and more positive personality traits and qualities to obese women (Jackson and McGill 1996).

Other studies show that non-whites are heavily influenced by their respective racial–ethnic cultural standards of beauty (e.g. Crandall and Martinez 1996; Desmond et al. 1989; Massara and Strunkard 1979; Shaw 2005) that mediate how they understand, interpret and make sense of media (Duke 2000; Hunt 1997). For example, race–ethnicity affects what parts of teen magazines young girls focus on, such that African-American girls are less likely than white girls to read the sections focused on beauty tips (Duke 2000). Non-white minorities, particularly non-white minority women, do not accept the mainstream, white beauty and body ideals (see Barnett, Keel and Conoscenti 2001; Demarest and Allen 2000; Duke 2000), and are more accepting of heavier bodies defining beauty in terms of personality traits rather than as physical characteristics (Landrine, Klonoff and Brown-Collins 1992; Parker et al. 1995). Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2003) and Root (1990) find that African-American and Latina women have a lower incidence of eating disorders than do white women, and Schooler and colleagues (2004) conclude that exposure to mainstream (i.e. white dominated) media has no effect on African-American women’s body images but results in poorer self-esteem among white women. Yet, these findings have been contradicted by the work of Shaw and colleagues (2004), who find no significant ethnic differences in eating disturbances.

Some scholars suggest that non-whites have oppositional ways of interpreting the dominant cultural images of beauty or that people of color find sources other than mainstream mass media and popular culture to form their ideals of beauty (see Craig 2002; Duke 2000; Durham 1999). Racial–ethnic groups may be insolated by their culture. Latinos, for example, report higher desired weights for women than do whites (Winkleby et al. 1996), and it is suggested that their cultural standards of beauty differ from those of whites (Harris and Koehler 1992; Rittenbaugh 1982). Shapelier and heavier body types are not only accepted within the community, but more desired. Similarly, scholars claim African-American women are protected from mass media portrayals by their sub-culture (Molloy and Herzberger 1998), perceiving African-American men as rejecting the “white” standard of beauty by preferring larger body sizes (Milkie 1999). However, Poran’s (2006) in-depth interviews of 15 female African-American college students find they are not entirely insolated, and instead feel pressure to be thin, and to conform to the preferences of men of diverse ethnicities.

There are few studies assessing the preferred body types of heterosexual Asian Americans, or their preferences for opposite sex body types. The results of these studies are contradictory with some concluding that white women are less satisfied with their bodies than are Asian-American women (Akan and Grilo 1995; Altabe 1998), and other studies finding Asian-American women are as likely as are white women to have body concerns and weight dissatisfaction (Gluck and Geliebter 2002; Koff et al. 2001; Sanders and Heiss 1998). There is some evidence showing that acculturation and the acceptance of Western ideals is a major risk factor for eating disorders among Asian Americans (Davis and Katzman 1998; Hall 1995). Asian-American women exhibiting a stronger adherence to family norms are less likely to develop bulimia or anorexia. This suggests that Asian Americans, much like Latinos, and African Americans similarly experience conflicting messages between their culture and the dominant white culture.

[SinncmxM]

I think this stems from the fact that non-whites tend to be more appreciative of, how you say, "junk in the trunk" so to speak. They like curves more than Caucasians do, for some odd reason. I don't know why our fascination with thinness exists, but I don't subscribe to it.

I don't like "fat" (loaded term) women, don't get me wrong, but I appreciate the via media. There are a lot of sexy women out there that don't meet either definition.

I admire that this study tells it like it is. Race and culture usually plays a role in what you find appealing. I've always believed that you're inspired by your surroundings, and these findings go hand-in-hand with that. If you grew up with more curvy people, you tend to view such a trait in a positive manner. If you grew up in a trailer park where all the men had beer bellies, maybe you'll be more openminded towards the fatties than the daughter of beatnik vegetarians would.

[BlackBird]

To me, weight is less important than ideal body proportions. I prefer over-weight to underweight every time!

[drmarshallusa]

I like women of average weight but they have to have curves that go with it...I don't like women shaped like 12 year old boys. Men who obsess after women that look like that need to have their sexuality questioned.

[Payodcapy542fro]

For me the bone structure is more important than weight, long legs and wide hips. Weight like Giorgia Palmas when she was in her best.

[TOPERink]

So are you saying you like big boned women?

Can't say I disagree. Most of my people are big boned and I find them to be gorgeous.

...and short, unfortunately, but that can't be helped.

[Wahwlsnt]

Yet the media keeps bombarding us with double standards...on one side they show skinny models and on the other they say that women should be big and proud.

Neither anorexia or obesity is healthy.

[phsyalcvqh]

It's a triple-standard I say. Very few people like obese women, the standard says that a model should be size zero, but then any list of the most attractive women in the world has curvy women on top, such as Jessica Biel, Kim Kardashian, or someone of that nature.

I remember when I was growing up everyone said Jennifer Lopez was it, and what was it everyone focused on her? Not her pretty face or her chest, but her ample backside.

Waifish models are there to show off clothing, but if you want a pin-up poster on your wall, you don't want Heidi Klum or Kate Moss. If you ask, they want someone like Adriana Lima who is still a bit too thin but hardly a twig.

I mean, does anyone really find Paris Hilton to be attractive?

[SeLvesTr]

to me it is personality and humour that really counts. fat women are too loud and too skinny are too scary.

[Hamucevasiop]

I like women of average weight but they have to have curves that go with it...I don't like women shaped like 12 year old boys. Men who obsess after women that look like that need to have their sexuality questioned.

But it seems like a lot of men are into the skinny model types...or similar to those petite Asian women. It seems like they're into very nubile bodies.

Do you think they're into those body types because it denotes youthfulness?

[jamemeveRhype]

I mean, does anyone really find Paris Hilton to be attractive?

I do; she looks amazingly gorgeous.

But after learning her reputation and personality, she becomes amazingly hideous.

[nermise]

What the fuck?

I'm more attracted to her awful personality than I am her twelve year old boy body or the vacant stare on her plain face.

[Adimondin]

Her face is gorgeous. Body is meh. I look at face first (eyes) before anything else.

[dupratac]

So do I. If I weren't a face first guy, Ioke's shemale parts would be a definite turn-off.

I don't see how a woman who has the same ugly look in every photograph can be hot.

Click the attachment.

[AnetTeilor]

i tent do like hourglasses best.

[EzequielTMann]

She has slavic facial features, blond hair, blue eyes, Eastern European look.

How can you not think she's hot? That baffles me. Don't get me wrong here; she isn't my ideal type, but she does look beautiful.

[QiuCIOdO]

Her face is gorgeous. Body is meh. I look at face first (eyes) before anything else.

She wears bright blue contacts and dyes her hair platinum!

Look for her younger photos and she looks like any average white girl.

[kranskregyan]

She's just a barbie doll without the boobs. Pass.

If her family still owned the Hilton hotel chain, I could see someone impregnating her and hoping to get a ring out of the deal, but I really don't see what you see in her, Unome. All due respect.

And from what I hear because I haven't seen it, she was awful in her sex tape.

[lagunaEl]

She wears bright blue contacts and dyes her hair platinum!

Look for her younger photos and she looks like any average white girl.

I looked for younger photos and found one or two; she didn't look bad when she was younger.

[Tveabuti]

She has slavic facial features, blond hair, blue eyes, Eastern European look.

How can you not think she's hot? That baffles me. Don't get me wrong here; she isn't my ideal type, but she does look beautiful.

I guess with a whole lot of plastic surgery, anybody can look like Paris Hilton.