"I may be fat, but I beat my eating disorder"

[Mermaid]

I think most of the pressure on men comes from other men rather than women. We live in a society where men are in a constant pissing contest to be the most masculine, the most respected etc etc. That's an attitude that breeds shame around being fat. It's "biggest dick syndrome", represented in body shape.

It's the same reason there appears to be so much pressure on short men, skinny men, the list goes on. Women will have their preferences sure, I've heard women say they won't date a guy under 5'9 or a bald guy, but I still think most of the "pressure" men face is to match up to other men, not so much to impress women. Therefore it's less of a sexism issue and more our own issue, it's the hypermasculine culture that needs addressing.

I think your right, it's an alpha dog mentality, it's more of a pressure to be masculine than it is to look good. In fact I would say most guys who are considered good looking are often picked on as being pretty boys.

Yeah. We do all have our cultural pressures. More than one guy has been sent over the edge because if this sort of pressure too.