The Ugly Truth from a Woman's Perspective

"It's called the stairmaster.  Get on it!" So sayeth a male character to Katherine Heigl's character in The Ugly Truth, which many friends of mine are watching in DVD with their significant others.

Why is it that men are allowed to say that to women, but women are not allowed to say it to men?  This unfair double standard perpetuates throughout society and the media.  American Idol is the perfect example, especially the season with Kimberly Locke and Ruben Studdard.  Kimberly, who was only slightly overweight, got constant comments from Simon Cowell about how she needed to slim down.  I understand that on one level, he was trying to make her aware of an image based industry.  Yet I couldn't help feeling some distain when Ruben Studdard, who probably weighed about 300 pounds, was then labeled "The Velvet Teddy Bear" and not once told that he needed to lose weight.  In other words, overweight men are cute like teddy bears, and overweight women just aren't going to make it out there.

Yes, men are visual.  But you know what, so are women.  We are not visual in the sense that we expect every guy out there to look like Tom Cruise or Tom Felton. I have had to watch my diet more now that I'm past 25, so I understand not having a 6 pack like Jacob in New Moon.  But the truth is, as a woman who had both of her grandfathers pass away from heart attacks, when I see a guy with a giant gut, I think to myself, "if you are this heavy in your late twenties or your early thirties, you're going to have a heart attack by the time you are forty five.  I'm not sure I want to deal with this."  Especially when you are constantly eating greasy pizza or hamburgers. I tried dating a guy about a year ago who was very overweight because I thought he had a great sense of humor, and I wanted to give him a chance. Yet I couldn't help being bothered when we went to a pizza joint and he got a giant pizza all to himself while the rest of us ate salads and sandwiches.  The real deal breaker was when one of his friends at the same table started throwing spit wads at us.  The ugly truth is, though, that if he had a great personality AND a six pack like Jacob Black, I might have at least given him a third date. :)

I understand gaining a few vanity pounds and having to get back on the wagon. I got off the wagon a bit on my exercise plan last winter and paid the price for it.  Yet I am getting back on, eating healthier, and feeling about ten times healthier.  And the truth is, I expect the next person I date to do the same.  For some reason, I seem to attract and be attracted to males who are very thin and who just naturally have an almost too high metabolism.  That doesn't have to be the case forever, but you know what, if I'm going to get up on the elliptical machine, you'd better get your butt on the bike next to me.  I have a master's degree and a job, and I don't have to put up with a couch potato.  Get yourself a good job, and you know what, get an exercise plan while you're at it.  Down with the double standard, because we are in this together, brother.