Published on June 13, 2005

I grimaced here in england as I watched Lesley – the new “hottie” on the British version of “Big Brother” – walk into the show’s new house wearing a nurse’s outfit that barely covered her underwear. Her breasts were bulging, threatening to spill out from her top.

It would have been a pretty sight if her tummy weren’t about to burst out of her costume as well.

Then I watched in silent amazement as Lesley checked out the other female contestants, some prettier than she is, and most far more shapely. “I imagine that some might think that they’re competition to me,” Lesley said. I almost choked on the chocolate bar I was nibbling.

Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against overweight women. I just think it’s wrong when women who have spent their lives gorging on Big Macs, fish ’n’ chips and pasta abuse those poor tiny dresses designed for women with more modest figures.

Thailand is filled with slim, if not underweight, women, and that’s what I’ve grown familiar with.

Well, perspectives are constantly revised, and ever since I arrived in England almost three years ago, my outlook on how an attractive woman should be shaped has been dramatically modified.

If the Americans are worried about their Barbie-like bulemic teenagers, they should use young English women as spokespersons in their anti-diet campaigns.

The fact of the matter is that here, having a little extra is beautiful! While Thai women would hide those extra pounds with oversized T-shirts, the English flaunt it!

And do they flaunt!

The low-rise jeans craze hit here long before it did in Thailand, and women are wearing jeans at least two sizes below their actual size. This results in a proud exposure of that delightful flab, squeezed tightly by the jeans and the mid-belly tops.

Some of these lovely ladies give us extra joy when they bend over to expose a thong, and the abundance of flesh this sliver of underwear is unable to hold in.

This is “fashion” here, and I raise this topic not to ridicule the rounded ladies, but to show my admiration for their courage. Not only do Bridget Joneses really live in the UK, but they live here in abundance.

Thai women desperately trying to slim down will find inspiration in such courage.

I was recently at a university ball where all the girls went all out in squeezing themselves into all sorts of tiny dresses. The dresses were threatening to tear apart even before food was served, but every single one of the girls held themselves elegantly.

The surprising thing about all this is that they actually did look rather sexy in those outfits, despite the multiple bulges in the dress. Even more surprising is that the slim girls probably got even less attention than their more filled-out counterparts. Men were flocking around these girls like they were supermodels.

I wondered whether this was a uniquely English preference. Although I have grown to appreciate the fleshier females, I would still go for the slimmer look if I had the opportunity to choose.

It’s also possible that in a country with a highly questionable diet, slim girls are rarity and the men have developed a culture of sour grapes.

I have heard more than one English person complaining that Asian women are just plain skinny. Yet Thai women could learn a lesson from the English pride. All that dieting might not mean a thing if you are unable to hold yourself up with confidence and to appreciate yourself for whom you are.

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