For years men came in three basic body shapes – Broad, Skinny and Rounded. But now researchers have identified seven major new profiles – the Nacho, Pear, String Bean, Tomato, Brick, Snowman and Cucumber – to represent the changing figure of the Great British bloke.
Health on Female First
According to the comprehensive ‘Body Report’, conducted by leading menswear retailer Jacamo, most men are going pear shaped. Almost half of the sample identify themselves as pear-shaped and carrying a little extra weight around the middle, 15 per cent think they’re a sleek straight up and down Cucumber, while the rounded Tomato represents one in ten.
The broad bodied Brick struck a chord with 9.7 per cent, but just one in twenty see themselves as a broad shouldered, slim-waisted Nacho. Bringing up the rear, 4.3 per cent describe themselves as a String Bean (very skinny and lean) or a Snowman (rounded figure of eight shape).
Jacamo’s ‘Body Report’ took an in-depth look at the changing shape of man and his relationship with his figure too, unveiling that blokes suffer from the same body confidence issues as women.
It found that 28 is the age that men are happiest with their body with 40 per cent epitomising it as the time they had the perfect shape for their age. A third felt they were most body confident and least self-conscious at this point, and a quarter earmarked it as the time in their lives when they could wear what they wanted. A further one in five felt most attractive at this age too.
Almost three quarters dislike their body and actively want to change it, and a further one in six don’t like anything about their figure or features.
The once pear-shaped Ricky Gervais was voted the guy who best represents the average British man securing one in eight votes. Brick-like Robbie Williams came a close second with one in ten votes, followed by Cucumbers David Beckham and Freddie Flintoff.
The seven new body shapes:
- Pear – a little bit larger around the middle
- Cucumber – straight up and down with no extra weight
- Tomato – slightly chubby all over
- Brick – broad all over
- Nacho – broad shoulders and slim waistline
- String bean – very skinny and lean
- Snowman – rounded around the stomach and chest creating a figure of eight like shape
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