Recently there has been some public discussions about appearance. The consensus seems to be that it is better to be tall and slim, while those who are short and fat suffer a lot of disadvantages.
I believe it depends on how similar you are to the people around you. If the most of the people around you are obese, then it seems to be normal to be a bit fat, but if the people around you are slim then those who are fat could be regarded as outcast.
I am a foreigner in China. My height is 182 cm and I weight 78 Kgs. This seems to be quite a good physique, but previously when I visited remote places in China, people stared at me as if I am somebody from another planet because I am taller than most people. I used to envy the people in China who are mostly petite and slim. However, in recent years, people in China have grown much taller due to improved nutrition so I am no longer seen as strange. Unfortunately, due to plentiful supply of food, a lot of people have become fatter as time goes by. Hope people can watch what they are eating and have more physical exercise to maintain a healthy physique
Today I came across a newspaper report which says that being tall and slender isn’t only aesthetically attractive; a new study shows these physical attributes are also associated with a higher socioeconomic status in most countries. Being a short man or an overweight woman is associated with reduced life opportunities in areas such as marriage, friendships, respect, happiness jobs and income. The report says they asked 119,000 people aged between 20 and 60. The results show that being short, leads to lower levels of education, lower job status, and less income, particularly in men and greater deprivation in women. A range of factors could link tallness to higher social position, and the researchers suggest the possibilities include complex interactions between self-esteem, stigma, positive discrimination, and increased intelligence.
That report is quite alarming as it shows that physical appearance affect the future of people. I don't really agree with the report because the value of a person is in his ability, suitable education, intelligence and experience. The outlook or appearance of a person is not that important because appearance does not really enhance performance.
However, a person's weight does affect health, so I myself have been taking regular physical exercise and eating more healthy food and avoid food which can cause overweight.
