Thin is not in when it comes to dating, according to a poll taken by members of three online dating sites.

Dinner for two/Ryn Gargulinski

A hefty (excuse the pun) 85 percent of single guys said they simply adore heavier women.

Eighty percent of the men polled said the larger gals appreciate the attention more and are not as bitchy as their pin-thin counterparts; 69 percent of the guys said it’s what inside that matters; 54 percent said heavier women are better in bed; 13 percent said the rounder gals have more fun and 35 percent agreed with all of the above.

Nearly 80 percent of the guys said obese was OK, as long as he loved her.

On the flipside, 90 percent of women thought guys would find overweight women unattractive. Judging by the poll, they were way off the scale.

Go figure, pun definitely intended.

And the ladies, too, don’t mind if a guy has a few pounds to lose.

Nearly 88 percent of women polled said they feel protected by a bigger guy and “Yes, I love a teddy bear;” 74 percent said it would depend on how overweight he was but he better be healthy rather than a couch potato; and 30 percent of women wanted a guy who was fit and totally in shape.

We are not sure why the numbers don’t add up to 100 percent, unless folks were allowed to respond to more than one answer.

The sites that conducted the polls were Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com, and results were posted by parent company Avalanche, LLC.

What do you think?

Do prefer your date thin, muscular and fit or don’t you mind some extra pounds?

How many extra pounds are TOO many extra?

Most of us would admit that choosing to date someone based solely on his or her wardrobe would be a tad superficial.

Would you be caught dead dating someone dressed like these folks?/Photo Ryn Gargulinski - edited to protect the innocent

Some of us may do it anyway.

Even if we never say a word about our date’s mode of dress, there still may be times we wish we could send them home for a change of clothing.

Halloween is a grand exception to the rule. I was quite proud to be seen with a guy dripping gore dressed as roadkill while he seemed fairly fond of my black demonic wings.

During the rest of the year, however, some outfits may cause us to pause.

I have never sent someone home to change, nor have I been asked to go do so myself – at least not from anywhere other than one stuffy office job I had.

Yet some less-than-spiffy duds may make us roll our eyes in revulsion.

On the flipside, it may be equally disgusting to try and shape our dates into our own mode of dressing if that doesn’t suit them. Folks who are not comfortable in what they are wearing tend to become self conscious, irritable and stooped over like a hunchback as they try to hide.

So is it better to let some style blunders go?

Certain folks may look “cute” when they wear sneakers with sundresses or suits, but it’s still pretty tacky to throw on your tennies with a tuxedo or ball gown.

The jury is still out on guys – or even gals – in fur. I’m a fur lover, faux fur of course, so I generally find it quite fetching. As long as he doesn’t show up in a big, lavender floor-length fur coat that made him look like a sickly Easter bunny or a pimp.

Gals dressed as a pimp’s counterpart, with too short, too tight and too revealing anything, also fall into the tacky category.

Guys should keep their flimsy white tank tops (aka “wife beaters”) beneath their shirts, just as gals should refrain from publicizing bra straps and lingerie. Unless, of course, you find parading around in either a fine fashion statement.

But there may be nothing worse than a date who shows up, even with a bouquet of flowers in hand, who is wearing a T-shirt that reads: “I’m with stupid.”

What do you think?

Do you try to shape the way your date dresses? If yes, how?

What’s the worst outfit you or someone you know has worn on a date?

Did you ever send a date home to change?

Since we had so much fun with bad boys and bad girls in a previous post, let’s gallop to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Mama's boys may wear cool hats, at least/Ryn Gargulinski

Meet the mama’s boy.

There is really no female equivalent here, as this category is a definite double standard – one of the few that is in women’s favor.

Gals after a certain age who live with their parents are just trying to save money or are being loving caretakers.

Adult men who live with the parents, especially their mothers, may be on their way to becoming Norman Bates.

Of course, men can still be a mama’s boy even if they do not live with their mothers.

The mama’s boy will not make a move without dear mom’s permission, consultation or blessing. He will invariably take her side over his wife’s or girlfriend’s point of view – even if the two have been married or in a relationship for 22 years.

No woman will ever live up to his mother. Will never cook, clean, work, enunciate or even write a novel as well as she does – even if she’s never written a novel. So no one should even try.

There’s really no room for another woman in his life.

Another speculations on men who live with their parents, especially guys in their 20s and 30s, is that the dudes have a different issue going on.

They may not be mama’s boys or like Norman Bates, but they could instead be more like Peter Pan.

They don’t want to grow up. They don’t want to pay rent. They don’t wanna go to work. They don’t even want to do their own laundry.

In either case, neither Bates nor Peter Pan seems too great for dating material – unless he can get mama to do our laundry, too.

What do you think?

Have you seen an increase in mama’s boys and Peter Pans?

Have you dated any? Are you one of them?

Do you agree there is a double standard between men and women living at home?

Is it OK for adults to live with their parents – or creepy?

Singles bars aren’t your only choice when it comes to meeting Mr. or Miss Right.

Jail cells are not ideal places to find Mr. or Miss Right/Ryn Gargulinski

In fact, some of those places may seem more like meat markets that can land you with a Mr. or Miss Really Wrong.

Some relationships blossom from friendships.

Others are the product of a chance meeting when you least expect it – like saying “Hi” to that cute guy or gal at a coffee shop or hot dog stand.

Work has increasingly become a place of romance, as more people are working longer hours and don’t really go anywhere else.

Some companies are also becoming less stringent on their dating rules. I recently worked in a place that had at least three married couples on board, all of whom had met at work.

But there also strategic places outside of work or chance happenings where you can be on the lookout for a potential date.

Following your passions, be it taking an art class or hanging out at javelina hunting lectures, will put you in the same room with others who share your interests. Some of those others may be single.

Following your survival instinct, that is, the need to eat, will put you at the supermarket. Other single folks need to eat, too. Note: please check out their cart to make sure they are not buying food for two before you make your move.

Following your heart is another option. If you volunteer for a good cause or attend events that support something about which you feel strongly, you may run into others with that same love of the cause. The love of the cause could extend to love of each other.

Where I’ve met cool people:
Internet
Poetry readings
Festivals and events
Dog parks and animal activity places

Where I’ve met creepy people:
Internet
Through mutual acquaintances (not friends, acquaintances)
When I used to write “Personal of the Week” for personal ads (I would call to interview them and, although not all were creepy, the creepy ones with names like “Sizzle Boy” would inevitably ask me out)
Courthouses

Where to meet cool yet creepy people or creepy people who may be kind of cool:
Internet
Midnight showing of Rocky Horror
Political rallies

My current beau and I first met online and then got to know each other through friendly e-mails before we even did that first date thing. Since we had shared our common interests before the date, we knew we’d both enjoy that terrific first date we had hunting bones and moseying through dilapidated houses and an ancient cemetery.

Once again, thanks to Carolyn Classen for the topic – and just wait until you read where she met her husband!

Where did you meet your significant other?

Where would you advise others to meet potential dates?

Where would you tell people never to go expecting to meet Mr. or Miss Right?