I never thought I’d date a “fat” guy. As an athlete (I swim several times a week), I used to only be attracted to svelte, trim men. I was so focused on finding a guy who worshiped his own body that I neglected to look for a guy who worshiped me.

So imagine my surprise when I began dating a chubby, cuddly guy. He didn’t compete in triathlons, he never counted calories, he rarely wore fitted clothes. At first I grew nervous that we wouldn’t work together. I worried that everywhere we went, people would judge us for being an inter-weight-cial couple.

But after a few weeks, my fears melted away. Instead of staring at his plump tummy, all I could see was how much he cared for me. Despite my initial prejudice against hefty hunks, I realized he pretty much rocked my world. Sometimes bigger is definitely better.

I’m not the only one jumping aboard the junk-in-the-trunk bandwagon.

The New York Times reports that several leading men have packed on pounds as of late. Russell Crowe, Jeff Daniels, John Travolta, Denzel Washington and Hugh Grant have all recently made full-figured film appearances. And Fox is planning a dating reality show called More to Love, which will feature overweight contestants.

Here are four reasons why dating a “Big & Tall” boy will give you the most bang for your buck.

1. He’ll never criticize your weight or your food portions. If you want that extra slice of pizza or that extra scoop of ice cream, he’s not going to raise an eyebrow.

2. You know how women’s magazines always claim that men prefer women with a little meat on their bones, because their bodies feel better to the touch? Turns out the reverse is also true. Heavier men are softer and more squeezable than skinny studs.

3. His belly = your own personal, portable pillow. (:D:D:D)

4. Weighty guys enjoy life more than thin men. They never stress about diets or workouts - they instead spend their time tasting the pleasures of life. Like you!

(via bettyconfidential)