I feel like American culture has a paranoiac fear and disdain for "fat" on women's body? Is my sentiment wrong?

[Ifriqyan]

Renaissance painting

Not so long ago, even western beauty standards weren't as obsessed with low body fat% on women. A pudgy stomach or chubbier arms weren't seen as a negative trait.

When I talk about body fat I'm not talking about morbid obesity

Let me explain how I feel about this. Because morbid obesity is a major health issue in the US, this created a polar opposite reaction, a sort of aggressive counter reaction where very low body fat % (whether naturally achieved or achieved through lots of fitness or anorexia/eating disorders) is almost seen as THE only way for a woman to be considered beautiful or at the "Top" of the attractiveness hierarchy.
From what I've seen online, being on the chubbier side in the US automatically removes "points" of attractiveness from women. "Fat" , even if not excessive is seen as repulsive; the lower, the better.

A toned body is seen as ideal by many men in the West/USA

The new fitness beauty standards seems to be replacing the early 2000's very skinny ideal

Now when I compare it with my (north African) culture , the relationship we have with the female body is not exactly the same. I'd say it's closer to older European beauty standards when it comes to body.

the Love interests in an Algerian video clip, a chubbier girl on the Left and skinnier girl on the Right

It seems that whenever I'm in North Africa, the judgement of women's body is much more "lax" than it is in the US. What I mean is that whether a woman is on the chubbier side ( I said chubby not morbidly obese) or on the slimmer side, she probably has equal chances of being considered very attractive provided that she has a conventionally "beautiful face".
Many men even seem to prefer chubbier women. And most dislike muscle definition on women.
I've had chubbier phases and noticed that i'd still get attention from North African men. When I'm considered "normal/not fat" in Tunisia, I'd be considered "chubby/fat" in France.

A chubby love interest in a Tunisian Video clip

Updates

+1 y

I want to end this with a little nuance: due to our world being more interconnected, the trends set by the west/USA are also becoming more and more visible in my culture especially among the upper class but still not at the same extent. Dieting is common. But the middle class man would still find a chubbier woman attractive if she's feminine and has a pretty face.

[thehorriblesheikh]

Americans generally feel disgusted by fat, I've felt this as well. However, I see that disgust towards both fat men and fat women. I think it is probably due to the rise of obesity in the US, no one wants to be associated with obese people in the US because obese people give not only the US a bad name, but come across as weak willed individuals to many.

I don't think people should glorify or shame fat individuals though, but instead try and help them find a way out of it, if the fat individual is willing to be helped.

[joeldalton]

Yeah, you’re wrong. Back in the “day” being fat meant you were wealthy - while most were starving, if you had so much food you could gain weight it was a good thing. Now, in the 21st century, it means you’re putting your life at risk and putting a burden on our healthcare system.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Nope. American women like stick women. I love my woman thick like this beautiful Latina. 😍

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

*American men

[Ifriqyan]

Honestly I live in a very ethnically diverse city and very rarely if ever see women with such body proportions outside of the internet...
There's many curvy women/thick women but it is rare for them to have the very wide hips WITH a flat stomach at the same time, unless they wear spanx to hold the stomach fat or something when wearing tight clothes...

[MattCooke94]

In history thin skinny women weren’t looked soon what they are today I hope it goes back to appropriating women of all sizes and sexual orientations

[Twenty2]

I am not American and don't understand why women want to starve themselves. They care too much about the outward appearance rather than what's inside which results in shitty personalities at times.

[mrgspoter]

Yeah it's most places people know it's unhealthy because if science, people know they fat and probably real lazy eating too much it's very unattractive is it not?

[Anonymous]

"Paranoiac fear" is a bit over the top. It is simply unhealthy and unattractive, that's all.

[Anonymous]

Not the USA, but the Western world in general.

[asshole_]

Just as they say it's "wrong" for men, to be short

[OddBeMe]

Only if your view is TV.