Sorta.
There's inner beauty, for sure.
And then there's outer beauty.
Studies have shown that standards of outer beauty are universal.
You can show photos of people to young babies and they hone in on what we would normally consider to be the hot women. I've read of other studies that have established that the desired proportions of women (waist to hip ratio) is the same regardless of culture or part of the world in which you live.
It just is.
And I guess my point is why should we make an exception for weight when we're not making an exception for facial beauty? To me, it's a con. It's like Twiggy but miles in the other direction.
Or maybe not.
http://www.lifebuzz.com/world-beauty/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-the-ideal-womans-body-looks-like-in-18-countries_us_55ccd2a6e4b064d5910ac3b0
Then again, maybe.
http://phys.org/news/2015-03-men-body-evolutionary-roots.html
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6355-babies-prefer-to-gaze-upon-beautiful-faces/
(18 designers in 18 countries isn't a "study" and doesn't exactly disprove my point.)
Interesting stuff, Norm.
Thanks!