Hourglass Women Are Happy Women

It seems to go against everything we’ve been led to believe about body image. Magazines and movies all praise slim figures as the standard of beauty, and every other commercial seems to be about a new weight loss method. If you believe what you see on TV, you might assume that the skinnier a woman is the happier she’ll be, and that plus size women are often riddled with self-doubt and insecurity. While body image and body shaming are certainly still relevant issues, a study in the UK shows it doesn’t necessarily follow that curvy women are less happy than skinny women. In fact, their findings indicated the opposite.

The study polled 2,000 women on their dress size and their feelings about their appearance. The research indicated that a whopping 74% of women who wore a size 16 (12 in the United States) were happy with their appearance. Nearly half of the women whose weights had fluctuated over the past three years said that they were happiest when they had a curvier figure. Women who wore sizes between 14 and 18 (10 and 14 in the United States) were generally happier and more confident about their appearance.

On the other hand, it was women who wore sizes between 6 and 10 (2 and 6 in the US) who were critical of their appearance, and only 59% claimed they were happy with their appearance. The research even went so far as to indicate that 35% of women who wore a size 6 wished that they were curvier, and several of the size 6 respondents felt that a curvier figure would make them feel more confident and comfortable in their clothes.

While it’s not ideal for any woman to feel insecure about her body, it does flip the script a little from what most hourglass women have been told about body image our whole lives. The poll didn’t have any answers as to why it was that fuller-figured women were happier, but it seemed that whatever the media told them, there’s nothing wrong with a size 12 body.

Your curves are natural and beautiful, not cause to hide in shame. The truth of this poll isn’t so much that curves have the scientific ability to make you happy, but that women who embrace their bodies and don’t obsess over dieting tend to be more content. Seems simple enough.

But the idea of being comfortable with your body in a world that has such strict ideas about how women should look can be a bit radical in practice. It’s not always easy, so here are some tips for keeping a positive mindset and loving every curve of your body:

Let’s be clear: we’re not suggesting that you totally let yourself go, sit on the couch and eat cheese puffs all day. It’s important to stay healthy, but it’s also important to keep in mind that healthy looks different on anyone. So instead of focusing on the appearance of health, listen to your body. If you feel unhealthy and lethargic in your body, you probably need to start moving more. Start jogging. Take a yoga class. Join a gym. And yes, consider eating healthier foods in healthier portions. On the other hand, if you’re a size 12 or 14, but you feel fit and energetic, great! Losing weight is not the end-all-be-all of healthy living, and sometimes it’s not the answer at all.

It’s easy to focus on the negative. Sometimes bashing your body can even be a social activity: one friend starts to complain about an aspect of their appearance that they don’t like and soon everyone chimes in with their own grievances. It might be tempting, but don’t give in. Fight off that negativity by making a list of everything you like about your body. It might even be your eyes or your hair or the way you look in a particular outfit. If you have anything nice to say about your appearance, right that down. Hold onto that list so that you can look at it on bad days. You may be surprised how many features you can think to write down once you get started.

While you’re at it, add a few things that you love about yourself regardless of your appearance. Maybe your creativity? Your sense of humor? It’s great to feel good about your appearance, but the best way to feel good about your appearance is to feel good about yourself regardless of your appearance.

There’s nothing more discouraging to an hourglass woman than walking into a clothing or lingerie store and nothing fits, or what little does fit only comes in bland, colorless styles. A study by Wood, Cameron, and Fitzgerald showed that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. Too often, hourglass women settle for clothes that only “kind of” fit because they feel that’s the best they can do--and that not only has an effect on your self-esteem, but your physical health.

Don’t settle for lingerie that doesn’t quite fit. At Hourglass Lingerie, we have a wide selection of the best plus-size lingerie brands on the market, like Goddess, Elomi, Panache, and Anita. Take a look at our thorough sizing guide to find the perfect fit for you and we’ll help you find the lingerie to match. If your lingerie feels comfortable, your body will feel comfortable and you’ll feel happier and more confident.

Is it true that hourglass women are happier than most women? We’d like to think so, but if you’re not happy with your lingerie, let us help you change that.