According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research , even subtle reminders of idealized bodies can encourage overweight consumers to overspend. Studies show that exposure to body cues (i.e., shapes) can have unintended consequences on seemingly unrelated behavior, such as spending. Seeing a thin -- as opposed to wide -- human-like shape prompts high-body-mass-index consumers to make more indulgent spending decisions. The authors found that mere reminders of the thin-body ideal can cause overweight consumers to feel worse about their own abilities, including management of their spending impulses. In one study where consumers were shown an object with a thin, human-like shape (e.g., something that resembles a Coca-Coca bottle), high-BMI consumers were more likely to buy a higher-priced, Fiji-brand bottle of water than a lower-priced, generic-brand bottle. Another study on shopping found that high-BMI consumers were more willing to take on credit card debt after seeing a...

Okay, time to put those of you who say "looks don't matter" to the test! Would you go out with someone who is chubby? Slightly overweight? Fat? Believe it or not, though they're a rare breed, there are people out there who prefer plus-set partners -- the ones with more meat on the bones. And I'm proud to say I'm one of them. Whether you want to call me a chubby chaser or BBW (big beautiful women) lover, all the girls I've gravitated toward in my life have either been voluptuous or overweight. I have always been attracted to curvy women with big breasts and behinds. I don't know what caused me to turn out this way. I think genetics might have something to do with it. After my dad and mom got divorced, the women he dated from then on were on the chubby/fat side. In addition, I, myself, have suffered from bouts of weight gain throughout my life. I was teased about my weight in elementary school, which prompted me to shed quite a few pounds and t...