Would You Rather be Fit or Thin?

TromboneAl · 08-03-2008, 08:57 AM

In another thread, Alan made the point that "it is much better to be fit than thin." That's certainly true, but perhaps you'd rather look fit than be fit.

Imagine these two people:

Person One is thin (not overly thin). When people see him/her they say "He/She is in good shape. Must work out."

Person Two is overweight to the extent that many people immediately say "He's/She's pretty chubby. Must go heavy on the Hagen Daz."

But, Person Two is somewhat healthier/more fit than Person One.

Which person would you rather be?

Most people who look overweight are less fit, but not all. There was a show about obesity a year or so ago, that showed, at one point, a man who looked quite overweight -- almost obese. Turned out he had run over 100 marathons, and test results showed that he was quite healthy.

**Want2retire** · 08-03-2008, 09:26 AM

In either hypothetical situation, the person has a task to accomplish!! I put that I would rather be thin than fit, because it is easier for me to get fit than to lose weight.

On the other hand - - if it is assumed that absolutely nothing can be done to correct either deficiency, then I would rather be fit than thin. I like being able to do things for myself, and I like feeling healthy. So, maybe I should have voted the other way.

Moemg · 08-03-2008, 09:53 AM

Neither , I'd rather be medium and fit .

Midpack · 08-03-2008, 10:58 AM

The second option is a somewhat unlikely choice, but it addresses your poll question.

Midpack · 08-03-2008, 11:00 AM

The options are both possible but unlikely since being fit is most likely going to make one thinner than they'd otherwise be, but I get your drift.

Orchidflower · 08-03-2008, 01:31 PM

I see fit women who are overweight every day at the pool. They could probably kick my fanny if they wanted to, I'm sure. Lifting weights, swimming, kickboxing..some pretty fit (albiet chunkier than the norm) babes live here. I say FIT!

Notmuchlonger · 08-03-2008, 01:38 PM

Marquette · 08-03-2008, 02:05 PM

I'd rather be thin... tall, thin, pale computer geeks are all the rage these days.

lazygood4nothinbum · 08-03-2008, 02:23 PM

one of the funniest "will & grace" episodes to me was jack courting the "elusive gay nerd" and i suppose twinks also have their admirers but my eye turns to a fit beefy man every time. not sure what you mean by overweight. i'm not into fat guys (no offense), but i especially like muscular guys who are not so low in body fat that it looks like their skin is as tight as saran wrapped.

i like the look that says they're in shape, but also that they could survive a few days of a desert hike after we've run out of food.

donheff · 08-03-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

But, Person Two is somewhat healthier/more fit than Person One.

I chose fit over thin because I would prefer to be healthy and appear a little overweight than be unhealthy and thin. But if the quote above told the whole story I would probably choose thin - if all I gained was a slight edge in fitness I would choose to look good like person #1.

LOL! · 08-03-2008, 02:52 PM

Hmmm, I think I am thin, but not saran-wrapped: earlier this week after basketball I weighed 155 lbs and I am a short 5'11". Surprisingly that puts me in the middle of a BMI calculation for my height, so maybe I'm not thin, but I ain't chunky either.

Anyways, I'd rather be thin than fit.

Rivrider · 08-03-2008, 03:09 PM

I'll never be thin

. But, I ride my bike several thousand miles a year and work with the dumbells, etc. So, I'm reasonable fit. Thats fine with me.

**Bestwifeever** · 08-03-2008, 07:50 PM

Thin. I do see plenty of people at the gym who are fit AND thin. I have to think being on the thin side is much healthier even without muscle tone re stress on the heart, pancreas, etc. But what do I know.

harley · 08-03-2008, 09:21 PM

Well, I don't think either is anything I'll be dealing with again

, but I choose fit. The CDC has done studies that show that overweight (not obese) people have longer life expectancies than normal or thin groups. I know quite a few thin people who just don't look healthy, flabby arms and stomachs, poor posture. I know you can be fit in a number of weight categories, but my personal tastes run to larger people. I always thought Bernadette Peters, Drew Barrymore, Queen Latifah, etc were much better looking than their fashionably skinny counterparts.

FIREdreamer · 08-03-2008, 10:44 PM

In my twenties, I was a very thin guy (5'9", 125-130 lbs., BMI 19, pant size 28-30) but I felt like, as a man, people often perceived my thinness negatively. I wasn't trying to be thin, I just never seemed to be able to gain weight no matter what/how much I ate. But around the age of 30 I finally succeeded in putting on some weight and I have now stabilized at 150-155 lbs. (BMI of 22-23). I still look a bit thin but I feel a lot better about myself. I am pretty fit looking too (I could probably work on tightening my mid-section), though I am no athlete and my body is far from being sculpted.

Calgary_Girl · 08-04-2008, 12:57 AM

FIT.

I work with a few smokers and although they appear to be skinny, I know for sure they aren't fit as they puff away

summer2007 · 08-04-2008, 01:59 AM

This was a tough one. But I liked your poll!

I'm thin and I have health problems so I would love to be at any weight that I could be as healthy as I could. BUT I would rather be thin than overweight so I just stuck with being thin.

I'm so used to being thin I don't think I could deal with being overweight.

I have to say this on being thin though. There is some advantages and disadvantages. My clothes fit very well and I can walk for a half mile and be breathing just like I am sitting here. My blood pressure is low and my heart numbers are excellent. There is a girl I live by that is on her 40's and she is 85 pounds. I can walk at a really good pace and talk to her and she can talk to me just like we were sitting here. I can't do this with someone that is overweight. Some of my obese neighbors probably can't walk to the top of the street.

I can breath really easy (I never smoked) and I'm very strong for my bodyweight.

BUT I have low stamina. I couldn't run a marathon and I feel sickly. I'm sick a lot and I need lots of rest at times. I'm not healthy!

Now the part about how others perceive you when you are thin is interesting. I'm over 6 foot and lean with good muscle tone but I just look thin with a shirt on.

Now I do get compliments. Mostly from guys. Some see being thin ideal and ask me what I do to stay this way. I get comments like I look like a boxer and stuff like that.

As far as women go I think a lot do NOT like thin guys. IMO girls like guys that are 5-6 to 5-9 and average to a little overweight.

I get negative comments from girls too...and some say they feel fat when they are around me. Others do not like thin legs or other things like that. Some just say "your too skinny!"

Others LOVE thin guys it's a smaller amount but they do exist. And it seems that they are usually bigger girls. But since the majority of guys are not thin you do get attention being thin from the select few that like it. I have had a few girls want to touch and do things like that and complemented me on being thin. One girl that came right after me and asked me out said within a short while that she hates overweight guys...so I guess that is why she came after me. And I mean she really came after me.

But don't worry if you are an overweight guy most are where I'm at and they seem to do just fine with the ladies!

But if you are not thin and you think if you were that everyone would find you attractive it's not really that way if you are a guy I think.

Some guys like bigger girls also not everyone likes thin girls. A couple of my buddies were this way. A few of my buddies never had a girl that was not overweight by a good amount. And a few other guys would not date a girl that weighed above 120!

I like girls either thin or athletic. I would take a little weight just a little for a really nice loving girl with a great personality though.

But 5-5 to 5-11 and 110 to 130 is perfect height and weight for a girl for me. I would accept outside that range but like I said the personality would have to be there!

Jim

RonBoyd · 08-04-2008, 09:11 AM

In a Speedo or in a suit?

Helen · 08-04-2008, 09:30 AM

Well, this shouldn't be a tough one, I should answer fit but a bit heavy. I guess that's where I am now and I'm working on dropping 15 pounds. I answered thin because I guess that is my honest answer for myself.

I've been thin for most of my life, at times in my 20's and early 30's too thin. Suddenly, the year I hit menopause I started packing on the pounds. I think I gained 20 pounds in 1 year and I'm 5'3"!!!

I can't stand having the buldge around my middle. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it is a really bad place to carry the weight. Apparently I have the apple shape.

So, I've dropped about seven pounds since buying my bicycle. I am going to have to figure out an exercise plan for this winter. Maybe Pilates? It's going to have to be something fun, I don't stay with things unless they are fun.

Jessica08 · 08-04-2008, 09:40 AM

I think it is much better to be fit. I have seen many thin people that you can tell never work out because there is no muscle definition on their legs or arms, and honestly, I would rather be larger with some definition than to just be thin.

View Poll Results: Which would you rather be?
I'd rather look thin but be less fit (Person One)	20	29.41%
I'd rather look overweight but be fit (Person Two)	48	70.59%
Voters: 68. You may not vote on this poll

08-03-2008, 09:26 AM	#2
Want2retire Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Orleans Posts: 6,102	In either hypothetical situation, the person has a task to accomplish!! I put that I would rather be thin than fit, because it is easier for me to get fit than to lose weight. On the other hand - - if it is assumed that absolutely nothing can be done to correct either deficiency, then I would rather be fit than thin. I like being able to do things for myself, and I like feeling healthy. So, maybe I should have voted the other way. __________________ Dreaming of retirement.... " - - my greatest skill has been to want but little - - " (Henry David Thoreau, in Walden)

08-03-2008, 10:58 AM	#4
Midpack Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 917	The second option is a somewhat unlikely choice, but it addresses your poll question. __________________ You only live once...

08-03-2008, 11:00 AM	#5
Midpack Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 917	The options are both possible but unlikely since being fit is most likely going to make one thinner than they'd otherwise be, but I get your drift. __________________ You only live once...

08-03-2008, 01:31 PM	#6
Orchidflower Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Il-Ia. border Posts: 1,005	I see fit women who are overweight every day at the pool. They could probably kick my fanny if they wanted to, I'm sure. Lifting weights, swimming, kickboxing..some pretty fit (albiet chunkier than the norm) babes live here. I say FIT! __________________ "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -- Confucius

08-03-2008, 08:57 AM	#1
TromboneAl Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,171	Would You Rather be Fit or Thin? In another thread, Alan made the point that "it is much better to be fit than thin." That's certainly true, but perhaps you'd rather look fit than be fit. Imagine these two people: Person One is thin (not overly thin). When people see him/her they say "He/She is in good shape. Must work out." Person Two is overweight to the extent that many people immediately say "He's/She's pretty chubby. Must go heavy on the Hagen Daz." But, Person Two is somewhat healthier/more fit than Person One. Which person would you rather be? Most people who look overweight are less fit, but not all. There was a show about obesity a year or so ago, that showed, at one point, a man who looked quite overweight -- almost obese. Turned out he had run over 100 marathons, and test results showed that he was quite healthy. __________________ - Al -- Always serious, never joking. No, wait. Never serious... Always... I forget.

08-03-2008, 09:53 AM	#3
Moemg Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sarasota,fl. Posts: 3,101	Neither , I'd rather be medium and fit .

08-03-2008, 01:38 PM	#7
Notmuchlonger Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,021	FIT __________________ Call the troops out in a hurry. This is what we've waited for. This is it boys, this is war.

08-03-2008, 02:05 PM	#8
Marquette Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,020	I'd rather be thin... tall, thin, pale computer geeks are all the rage these days.

08-03-2008, 02:23 PM	#9
lazygood4nothinbum Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,796	one of the funniest "will & grace" episodes to me was jack courting the "elusive gay nerd" and i suppose twinks also have their admirers but my eye turns to a fit beefy man every time. not sure what you mean by overweight. i'm not into fat guys (no offense), but i especially like muscular guys who are not so low in body fat that it looks like their skin is as tight as saran wrapped. i like the look that says they're in shape, but also that they could survive a few days of a desert hike after we've run out of food. __________________ "off with their heads"~~dr. joseph-ignace guillotin "life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901

08-03-2008, 02:52 PM	#11
LOL! Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,301	Hmmm, I think I am thin, but not saran-wrapped: earlier this week after basketball I weighed 155 lbs and I am a short 5'11". Surprisingly that puts me in the middle of a BMI calculation for my height, so maybe I'm not thin, but I ain't chunky either. Anyways, I'd rather be thin than fit.

08-03-2008, 03:09 PM	#12
Rivrider Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bloomington Posts: 127	I'll never be thin. But, I ride my bike several thousand miles a year and work with the dumbells, etc. So, I'm reasonable fit. Thats fine with me. __________________ Relax your mind.

08-03-2008, 07:50 PM	#13
Bestwifeever Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 932	Thin. I do see plenty of people at the gym who are fit AND thin. I have to think being on the thin side is much healthier even without muscle tone re stress on the heart, pancreas, etc. But what do I know.

08-03-2008, 09:21 PM	#14
harley Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: May 2008 Location: MD's Eastern Shore Posts: 791	Well, I don't think either is anything I'll be dealing with again , but I choose fit. The CDC has done studies that show that overweight (not obese) people have longer life expectancies than normal or thin groups. I know quite a few thin people who just don't look healthy, flabby arms and stomachs, poor posture. I know you can be fit in a number of weight categories, but my personal tastes run to larger people. I always thought Bernadette Peters, Drew Barrymore, Queen Latifah, etc were much better looking than their fashionably skinny counterparts. __________________ "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." DW and I - FIREd at 50, two years ago, living off assets

08-03-2008, 10:44 PM	#15
FIREdreamer Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,358	In my twenties, I was a very thin guy (5'9", 125-130 lbs., BMI 19, pant size 28-30) but I felt like, as a man, people often perceived my thinness negatively. I wasn't trying to be thin, I just never seemed to be able to gain weight no matter what/how much I ate. But around the age of 30 I finally succeeded in putting on some weight and I have now stabilized at 150-155 lbs. (BMI of 22-23). I still look a bit thin but I feel a lot better about myself. I am pretty fit looking too (I could probably work on tightening my mid-section), though I am no athlete and my body is far from being sculpted. __________________ "Fortune favors the brave" - Virgil

08-04-2008, 12:57 AM	#16
Calgary_Girl Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 518	FIT. I work with a few smokers and although they appear to be skinny, I know for sure they aren't fit as they puff away __________________ I can only be nice to one person today! Today is not your day...tomorrow doesn't look good either.

08-04-2008, 01:59 AM	#17
summer2007 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 227	This was a tough one. But I liked your poll! I'm thin and I have health problems so I would love to be at any weight that I could be as healthy as I could. BUT I would rather be thin than overweight so I just stuck with being thin. I'm so used to being thin I don't think I could deal with being overweight. I have to say this on being thin though. There is some advantages and disadvantages. My clothes fit very well and I can walk for a half mile and be breathing just like I am sitting here. My blood pressure is low and my heart numbers are excellent. There is a girl I live by that is on her 40's and she is 85 pounds. I can walk at a really good pace and talk to her and she can talk to me just like we were sitting here. I can't do this with someone that is overweight. Some of my obese neighbors probably can't walk to the top of the street. I can breath really easy (I never smoked) and I'm very strong for my bodyweight. BUT I have low stamina. I couldn't run a marathon and I feel sickly. I'm sick a lot and I need lots of rest at times. I'm not healthy! Now the part about how others perceive you when you are thin is interesting. I'm over 6 foot and lean with good muscle tone but I just look thin with a shirt on. Now I do get compliments. Mostly from guys. Some see being thin ideal and ask me what I do to stay this way. I get comments like I look like a boxer and stuff like that. As far as women go I think a lot do NOT like thin guys. IMO girls like guys that are 5-6 to 5-9 and average to a little overweight. I get negative comments from girls too...and some say they feel fat when they are around me. Others do not like thin legs or other things like that. Some just say "your too skinny!" Others LOVE thin guys it's a smaller amount but they do exist. And it seems that they are usually bigger girls. But since the majority of guys are not thin you do get attention being thin from the select few that like it. I have had a few girls want to touch and do things like that and complemented me on being thin. One girl that came right after me and asked me out said within a short while that she hates overweight guys...so I guess that is why she came after me. And I mean she really came after me. But don't worry if you are an overweight guy most are where I'm at and they seem to do just fine with the ladies! But if you are not thin and you think if you were that everyone would find you attractive it's not really that way if you are a guy I think. Some guys like bigger girls also not everyone likes thin girls. A couple of my buddies were this way. A few of my buddies never had a girl that was not overweight by a good amount. And a few other guys would not date a girl that weighed above 120! I like girls either thin or athletic. I would take a little weight just a little for a really nice loving girl with a great personality though. But 5-5 to 5-11 and 110 to 130 is perfect height and weight for a girl for me. I would accept outside that range but like I said the personality would have to be there! Jim

08-04-2008, 09:11 AM	#18
RonBoyd Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 344	In a Speedo or in a suit? __________________ "Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge." ~ Lau tzu "It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many

08-04-2008, 09:30 AM	#19
Helen Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 489	Well, this shouldn't be a tough one, I should answer fit but a bit heavy. I guess that's where I am now and I'm working on dropping 15 pounds. I answered thin because I guess that is my honest answer for myself. I've been thin for most of my life, at times in my 20's and early 30's too thin. Suddenly, the year I hit menopause I started packing on the pounds. I think I gained 20 pounds in 1 year and I'm 5'3"!!! I can't stand having the buldge around my middle. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it is a really bad place to carry the weight. Apparently I have the apple shape. So, I've dropped about seven pounds since buying my bicycle. I am going to have to figure out an exercise plan for this winter. Maybe Pilates? It's going to have to be something fun, I don't stay with things unless they are fun.

08-04-2008, 09:40 AM	#20
Jessica08 Dryer sheet aficionado Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 44	I think it is much better to be fit. I have seen many thin people that you can tell never work out because there is no muscle definition on their legs or arms, and honestly, I would rather be larger with some definition than to just be thin.

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