Your Opinion Needed: Too Fat? Too Skinny? Too Muscular?

I think Cate Blanchett and Kate Bosworth have taken it a little to the extreme in the skinny direction. But I also think that Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks are full figured and not really fat and that Kelly Clarkson is average. Serena Williams may have to get her jeans a size larger than someone else with similar demensions minus the butt, but thats a natural attribute you can't starve away. The other ladies have nice figures that I suppose are geared towards their respective occupations.

To me, Jennifer Hudson & Jordin Sparks look fat. & the one Darra Torres's abs look too blocky but better than being a discusting blob.

Here's a guy's opinion:
Too Fat (for ideal standards) - "Bridget Jones" Zelwegger, Jennifer Hudson
Too Skinny - Kate Bosworth, Cate Blanchett

The rest look decent. People need to keep in mind that the picture of Dara Torres is lit to accentuate her muscularity. I doubt she would look that ripped if you saw her outside on a beach.

I definitely do not like the skeleton look, nor do I like the skinny but undefined look. None of these bodies is exactly my ideal, but I'd have to choose Pauline Nordin or Jillian Michaels. If you think Pauline is too "manly", there are plenty of better pics, google her if you doubt it. I prefer females that work out and look the part as well.

Great post Mike!

All of these women look great in their own right, however Kate Bosworth looks dangerously unhealthy in that particular image. Jillian Michaels is my ideal because she appears so vibrant and healthy looking.

Too skinny: Cate Blanchett, Kate Bosworth, Renee Zelwegger "normal"

Too fat: Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson (for her frame size)

Ideal (to me): Jillian Michaels and Dara Torres.

I think a good body type is to have a lot of muscle on your body to create curves...too much fat and the curves go in the wrong directions. I'd kill to have abs like Dara!

First, I hope Cate Blanchett never gets stranded on a desert island. She wouldn't last the better part of a week. Her and Kate Bosworth are both way too skinny.

Jennifer Hudson and Jordan Sparks are overweight, but neither look terribly so. They could each stand to lose 20-30 lbs.

Dara Torres' abs look way too masculine, but as someone else said, the lighting is set to accentuate them. I hope she doesn't really look that way.

The rest of them look great--Jillian Michaels looks fabulous. Not sure I'd go for her "ripped" look (as in when she trains for book covers and things), but her everyday look is what I'd like to go for--after I have my baby (due in October), anyway. Great body. :)

Well, since I am a weights person, I do tend to like the more muscular & fit pictures vs. the very thin ones. Like Jillian, Pauline, Renee - normal, Kate. I don't like that super thin look like Cate and Kate & Renee thin & to think that they may be actually 10 pounds lighter since the camera puts 10 pounds on you!

Dara, that is a competitive thing.... too much for every day but she looks damn good for her age & a competitor! I am hoping after competition she adds on a bit if body fat.

Jennifer & Jordan are a bit overweight but still look good & if they are happy with themselves & are healthy, than that is good. They are not obese by any manner.

Too Fat - Serena Williams (even if it is mostly muscle), Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Kate Winslett (Heavy), and Renee Zelwegger as Bridget Jones, Kelly Clarkson in general (although the above picture is flattering)

Too Skinny - Kate Bosworth and Renee Zelwegger (normal)

Too many muscles - Dara Torres

Ideal - Kate Winslet (thin) or Jillian Michaels

(Note: Young white female, fatter than anybody in these pictures, speaking.)

I find I can't really judge any of them except in terms of comparisons; it's all relative.

"Fat" Kate Winslet and "fat" Renee Zellweger look bad compared to their "skinny" selves, but without the side-to-side comparison I probably wouldn't call them too fat.

I think Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks both look fine, but honestly, if either of them was Caucasian and had the exact same body shape, I'd probably say they were too fat.

I might call Dara Torres too muscular, not because of the amount of muscle, but because it looks WEIRD. (I might say the same of Serena Williams, but most of that seems to be a quirk of the angle or the way she's moving -- other photos of her, even in similar clothing, look much more feminine.)

Apart from Torres, I think everybody else looks good, and Kelly Clarkson, Cate Blanchett (my personal ideal), and "skinny" Kate Winslet look great.

I don't regard any of them as too thin.

A German newspaper recently published an article against the unhealthy, disgusting skeletal look of some prominent women.
While the article is in German, you can enjoy the photos here:
http://www.rp-online.de/public/bildershowinline/aktuelles/gesellschaft/leute/47168

Kate Winslet heavier: too fat
Kate Winslet lighter: fine
Serena Williams: fine
Kate Bosworth: lovely
Renee Zellweger: fine
Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones: too fat
Kelly Clarkson: could stand to lose a few
Pauline Nordin: fine
Jennifer Hudson: too fat
Jordin Sparks: too fat
Dara Torres: lovely
Cate Blanchett: lovely
Jillian Michaels: lovely

I'm a 27 year old female from Canada. I recently hit the 100 lbs mark in my weight loss (2 years!!) and am still going strong, with a goal to lose maybe another 30-40.

I think they all look great. The "heavier" ones are still a pretty healthy body weight. If they were my friends/family and were unhealthy or unhappy with their appearance, they would have my support if they wanted to shave off a few pounds in a healthy way, but they are still gorgeous women.

Over the last 6 months or so, my focus has been more on what my body can do over what it looks like, so I really admire the ones that are in peak physical condition - Jillian Michaels especially just GLOWS with health.

I'm afraid I fail to see what is positive or helpful in any way about asking people to pass comment on the body shapes and sizes of these women. If you were really interested in turning the tide of the epidemic of negative body image as you post about, then surely you would find a way to instead encourage your readers to learn that the only 'ideal' size and shape for them is the one that they feel most at ease with and the one that makes them feel balanced, healthy and beautiful. This continual judgment of others body shapes does nothing to help anyone and in fact as many of the negative comments already clearly show, just reinforce the ongoing "body bullying" of celebrities and others.

Kate Winslet heavier: too fat
Kate Winslet lighter: fine
22year old Romanian girl here...

Kate Winslet heavier: beautiful and chubby
Kate Winslet lighter: beautiful
Serena Williams: a little too ripped for her height
Kate Bosworth: gorgeous, though a bit too thin
Renee Zelwegger "normal": beautiful
Renee Zelwegger as Bridget Jones: beautiful and chubby
Kelly Clarkson: a bit chubby, stillhot though not my type
Pauline Nordin: too much muscle
Jennifer Hudson: fat
Jordin Sparks: fat
Dara Torres: fine shape, a bit too masculine
Cate Blanchett: gorgeous
Jillian Michaels: most gorgeous of them all