# Ladies, how do you like your men? short and fit (or) tall and overweight? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443 "2006-03-07T23:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/1 "2006-03-07T23:09:23Z")
I have a theory about (generalized) female preferences, but I fear that I might taint the testing pool if I state it up front, so I’ll just ask the question: Ladies, all other things being equal, which trade-off do you find more preferable? 1. short and fit 2. tall and overweight ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/2 "2006-03-07T23:11:51Z")
My lifelong preferences have been tall and solid, however my current boyfriend is my height and slender, which just goes to show preferences and inclinations don’t mean squat next to personality. At least in my case. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/3 "2006-03-07T23:21:28Z")
The shorter, the better. Really fit is just a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/4 "2006-03-07T23:57:59Z")
Short and fit. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/5 "2006-03-08T00:05:46Z")
My preference is short and overweight. If those were my only two choices, I’d pick tall and chunky. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/6 "2006-03-08T00:50:05Z")
Tall and overweight, no question. Though I may even prefer tall and overweight to tall and fit. My husband is just naturally broad-shouldered and muscular, but doesn’t lift weights and has a belly. And I like it. To give you more information you didn’t ask for, I think it’s about cues for masculinity for me. No matter how cut, if a man is shorter than me, he seems less manly, in a sexual attractiveness sense. If the guy is overweight and pear-shaped, I find that unattractive. The least attractive man I can think of is Woody Allen - short, slim, and with an incredibly weak chin - all features I associate more with children and/or women. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/7 "2006-03-08T00:57:58Z")
My boyfriend’s a former jockey, so shortness is obviously not an issue with me. Fitness does appeal to me. It’s not a deal breaker, but it does make my heart skip a beat to see a guy who’s really in shape. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/8 "2006-03-08T02:40:04Z")
Choosing between the two, I’d go for #1 - short and fit. Tall guys are nice, yes, but sometimes it sucks having to always reach up, tilt up, kiss up, look up, etc. I like a man who is fit. Motivates me to stay that way. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/9 "2006-03-08T02:46:31Z")
Short and fit ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/10 "2006-03-08T02:52:34Z")
How overweight are we talking? If we’re talking has-his-own-gravitational-pull overweight, I guess I’d go with short and fit. If he’s just cuddly-overweight, I’d go with tall and overweight. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/11 "2006-03-08T04:06:10Z")
My old preference was tall and skinny, though I dated short and mostly fit, then ended up marrying tall and overweight. Go figure, what I thought I liked didn’t end up working out at all! ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/12 "2006-03-08T04:34:18Z")
Tall and chunky. I don’t mind short but they would need to be big(muscle wise, getchur minds outta the gutter :D), skinny is a big turnoff for me. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/13 "2006-03-08T04:39:07Z")
That’s a hard choice but I think short and fit. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/14 "2006-03-08T05:15:34Z")
I like my men to be bigger than me, so I got no choice but to love me some tall and chubby dudes 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/15 "2006-03-08T06:20:30Z")
Tall. I am 5’9", so I like them six feet + As for weight, I find taller guys carry it better anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/16 "2006-03-08T10:30:14Z")
I’ve loved two men in my life. One was 6’3" and weighed, I think, over 300 lbs. He was a fighter in the SCA. The other is at least 6 inches shorter and probably weighs half as much, even allowing for muscle mass. Either short and fit or tall and overweight? Based on my history, I’d answer “Yes!” 😃 For me, physical appearance has little to do with how attractive a man is. With both men, what I loved most and found sexiest about them is the way their minds work and their personalities. CJ ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/17 "2006-03-08T11:34:34Z")
> [@Hey you!](#): > > I have a theory about (generalized) female preferences, but I fear that I might taint the testing pool if I state it up front, so I’ll just ask the question: > > Ladies, all other things being equal, which trade-off do you find more preferable? > > 1. short and fit > 2. tall and overweight I like 'em smart & funny. 🙂 After that, it’s negotiable. I would prefer stocky over thin. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/18 "2006-03-08T15:32:10Z")
Uh… overweight as in obese, overweight as in “no muscle definition but he’s not half as fat as many people think”? Most guys from my homeland come in two categories: 1. short and wiry (mostly iberian ancestry) 2. big. Just big. If you want any muscle definition on these you need a felt-tip pen. But they’re known to do things like lift 400kg worth of concrete “stone” (mostly basque ancestry, run a search for perurena if you want images) My nose seems to consider the second type more attractive, most of my boyfriends were big. Not fat. They didn’t wobble. Big I like, fat repulses me. Sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/19 "2006-03-08T15:42:11Z")
I’m not a lady, so maybe you have to discount my answer. It’s a tough one - ranking my prefs always is for some reason. I’m short myself, so sometimes it’s been nice to be with somebody me-sized, but if I had to pick one, I’d go with the big’n’tall. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443/20 "2006-03-08T15:48:29Z")
Fit. Always fit. Doesn’t matter if he’s shorter or taller than I am, I just find someone who takes care of himself, including eating well and exercising, much sexier. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-how-do-you-like-your-men-short-and-fit-or-tall-and-overweight/347443.md?page=2)