According to a survey, some good looking men have found their latest threat to be chubby guys. Men who have been working out to get into good shape, are now curious to find out why hot girls choose flabby guys over them and their bulging biceps.

Recently, I bumped into a friend who had seen hot ladies walking in and out of his gym with infact, chubby guys.

(Nash 25)

"I’m a good-looking, intelligent guy with a great body I enjoy flaunting at the gym. Needless to say, I enjoy receiving attention and compliments from women without exerting any effort.

What irks me, however, is that I sometimes see couples at the gym in which the women are babes and the guys are "chubby." I love the challenge of diverting these particular women's attention away from their doughboys.

So why would a great-looking woman date a chubby guy with no obvious sex appeal? Is she insecure? Or is she intimidated by male beauty and therefore plays it safe? Why would a woman who takes care of herself want to risk having dumpy-looking kids?

Sometimes I flirt with such women while their men are elsewhere, but I always start to feel sorry for the guys when that happens. I would certainly consider pursuing such a woman from an attraction standpoint, but if she has the capacity to be disloyal like that, then I would rather not bother.”

Well, he has certainly presented some interesting questions, but first he has to be taken to task. In his case, Something about him seems a bit off kilter, namely: when he says he enjoys "flaunting" his body, he sounds like a chick.

If one was to look up the definition of "narcissist" in the dictionary, they’d find something like this: A person who is excessively fascinated with his or her own appearance. It all boil downs to how vain one can be at times. My response was “Get over yourself and learn what it takes to succeed with women.” However this is not what I’m attempting to address.

It's a common assumption that women like their men with chiselled cheekbones and a taut stomach.
Of course, there are always exceptions. David Beckham's rippled torso might make most girls go weak at the knees but, for some, fleshy wobbles are a huge turn-on.

Take 23-year-old Amanda – her ideal man would weigh over 120kgs. 'Ideally, he would have some muscle and plenty of soft fat covering his body,' she explains. 'He'd have to have good facial features, and, to seal the deal, a wide bum and thick legs to carry him around.'

Mandy says it is the dichotomy of soft and strong she finds so titillating. 'Fat men are big compared to me and yet there's a vulnerability to them because they're not falling in line with societal standards. I'm very turned on by the contrast in our bodies and find the “giving in to temptation” element – to food and sex – to be exciting. And I simply like the look of a fat, round, soft belly.'

Tough and cuddly

Researchers have located admirers of fat people. There are men who like fat women but they say they haven’t any research into women who like bigger men simply because they're not as common – but there are surely loads out there. The non-scientific research (a few phone conversations to be specific) have found fat men being described as “bears” because they are both tough and cuddly.'

In other circles, namely online dating websites and social media, these men are also referred to as Big Handsome Men. But, according to Nicola (32), there is a big difference between a fat man and a big, handsome one. 'I've only ever dated big men who were happy with themselves but that's getting harder to find nowadays. If I suspect a man has a “woe is me, I'm fat” attitude, I wouldn't get involved. But if he considered himself a Big Handsome Man, then I would be interested. Nobody wants to date someone who hates their body.'

On the contrary Mandy says there's no playing hard to get with many fat guys – they just don't chase women the way athletic types are prone to.'

Both women have had to justify their taste in the opposite sex. 'I often get asked the age-old “Don't you worry about their health?” question,' says Nicola. 'I tell them eating a healthy, balanced diet and being active should be to achieve health and not weight loss. I do not advocate a man being sedentary and eating junk food.'


Feeding a fetish

But, aside from simply enjoying the company of an upbeat, overweight, yet active, fruit-scoffing man, researchers say it's likely that female fat admirers may have dominance issues.

'In developed countries,fat is associated with laziness and bigger people are often denigrated in society. This makes these women the stronger, more accepted ones and challenges typical gender assumptions.

When men date fat women, they are called “feeders” and get pleasure from feeding her and being dominant. This could also be the case here. Another explanation could be they have a fetish for fat flaps, which are hanging flaps of adipose tissue.' Whatever the explanation, these women are at least challenging the idea that thin is the epitome of attraction (although most men admit a fleshy, imperfect handful is far sexier than a boney, veiny limb).

According to a bunch of friends, women should be slim yet busty and that men should look like Brad Pitt or Gerard Butler. 'In many cases, most people disagree about what is sexy and what isn't. Lots of women fancy Brad but some fancy Jack Black.' It's nice to know that while most of us fear the flab, there are some who embrace, hug and hold the bulge.

(By Keshiya Leitch)