Jamie Reidy logically explains why a man cannot be criticized for incorrectly assessing a woman’s weight.
A recent FoxTwinCities report reveals an inconsistency between how the genders view themselves weight-wise.
This is clearly the result of improvements in brassiere technology. I blame Victoria’s Secret. Thanks to cartoon cleavage on every gal, guys have no clue how large a woman’s breasts truly are, which throws off weight estimates. What’s she, like, a 38-DD? That must be an extra, y’know, fifteen pounds, easy.
And then there are high heels to factor into the equation! For example, Kim Kardashian is 5′ 2.5″, but how would a guy know that when she always sports mad heels on her feet? (No comment on whether men actually know KK has feet.) So, if we can’t correctly judge a woman’s height, of course we will then overestimate her weight.
But the study shows that men see ourselves as lighter than we really are. So, why is that?
Simple. We think we still look like we did in high school. Which may explain why we still think like we did in high school…
Any reasons I missed for the discrepancy between the sexes and their weight views?
Photo courtesy puuikibeach
Wow. Methinks some people are taking this article just a bit too seriously and perhaps over thinking it just a tad.
Funny stuff, Jamie!
MO –
I don’t know you, but I’m guessing you’re about 105-107 pounds. Am I right?
I’m loving all this discussion!
Erin, I was being facetious with the Victoria’s Secret and Kim Kardashian examples. That said, I do think it’s nearly impossible to gauge the true size of a woman’s breasts thanks to the amazing bras these days. Along the same lines, the ubiquity of high heels make it difficult to judge a woman’s height.
Would you agree with those points?
I’m confused about what you are saying Jamie. That men guess their own partner’s weights to be higher then they are because Victoria Secret models have big breasts and Kim K wears tall heals? I fail to see how that makes any sense. From the article: “Danish researchers found that while men tend to *underestimate* their weight, they tend to *overestimate* the weight of their female partner. For example, even when WOMEN WERE AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT, men tended to view them as OVERWEIGHT. According to the study, it only took a body mass index score of 22.59 for men… Read more »
Not to mention that someone who obsesses over their weight is probably a little more likely to guess someone elses than someone who doesn’t.
I’d read this as evidence that men couldn’t care less about women’s weight rather than that they over emphasise it. I’ve never heard a guy say he “met this amazing girl over the weekend who only weighted 6 stone!”
My karate sensei always underestimates my weight at “100 lbs. wet”….I’m actually 117 lbs. (more or less)….I tried to correct him once when we were giving a self-defense talk for a group of women…and he got mad!
Needless to say, I LOVE him!
I’m guessing that number was for effect — “she’s only 100 lbs and look what she can do to a 250 lb man. If someone small like her can do it, you can, too.”
I don’t even see the point of guessing a woman’s weight. Why would a man (or anybody) need to guess this? Next.
My thoughts exactly W.R.R!
I work out with my boyfriend and he routinely guesses my weight when adjusting the amount of resistance for me.
He also routinely overestimates my weight by at least 20 pounds. It’s become a running joke now, and each time he adds on another 20. I think I’m up to 160 lbs now.
So, yes, weight considerations can come up in random occurrences.
He’s probably unconciously assuming the same relative density. Guys tend to be denser than women (LITERALLY NOT FIGUREATIVELY). My wife is always freaked out by what I weigh versus what she thinks I look like; usually a 30 lb difference.
Anthony and Typhoon, you and your hubby, respectively, are far better men than I! The 1%ers of men?
No, Jamie. I’m not a ‘far better man’. I’m a ‘far better woman’. In fact I’m better then 99% of women out there. Far better then all those immature, high-school minded child-women.
I’m a special snowflake, dotcha know?
Why do men underestimate women’s weight, overestimate their height, and overestimate their breast size? Diplomacy and flattery, pure and simple. If you’re not sure, err on the side of the lowest weight, tallest height, and bigger breast size. Would a woman rather be thought of as tall, thin, and bosomy, or short, heavy, and flat-chested? Another way to look at it: your average woman be a little put off if you pinpointed her exact bra size just by glancing at her, or if you knew too many technical terms about different types of lingerie. Better to be seen as an… Read more »
Yep. And if you’re stupid enough to answer a question about how old she looks to you, aim low.
“Which may explain why we still think like we did in high school…”
I don’t think ANYTHING like I did in High School. Neither do any of the men who I associate with.
My husband didn’t think like a ‘high school guy’ when he was in high school.
Can we end these snide jabs at men’s maturity?