54 Comments   
In all your concern about cellulite and bikini body, you may have lost sight of the fact that guys are also self-conscious about being overweight. Seriously-nearly 45 percent of men claim to be dissatisfied with their body for one reason or another. And considering there's an obesity epidemic going on, there's good reason for that.

So, while you may think that guys can take a little extra teasing about love handles, bingo wings and hungry butt, don't be so quick to call him out on those extra pounds. Specifically, avoiding the following oversize offensives will help you keep from leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

10. "Maybe you should hit the gym."
Even if you're harboring the best intentions, you're gonna sound like a gym teacher barking orders during the shuttle run. Instead, go to the gym yourself, and welcome his company.

9. "I like a little meat on the bones."
We appreciate your tolerance, but that's like us saying, "We like the way you fart when you laugh too hard."

8. "Are your parents overweight?"
Is that a nice way of saying "obesity is a genetic predisposition?" While true, it's not the best conversation starter.

7. "Let's skip dinner tonight."
Not eating can be just as counterproductive as eating too much (except starving ourselves isn't as delicious). In order to burn fat, your body needs to fuel its metabolism, and not eating shuts that down. Rather than skipping dinner, offer up a meal of chicken breast, whole grains, salmon, steak, apples, peanut butter, turkey or unidentifiable drugstore-packet energy pills, all of which speed up the body's metabolism.

6. "Looks don't matter to me."
Then why draw attention to the fact that we're not Abercrombie catalog fodder, instead of not mentioning it?

5. "I never liked six-packs and pelvic dips anyway."
See above. Again, we get what you're trying to do -- show us that you like us for reasons other than cosmetic. But even mentioning what we don't have could plant an unwanted seed of insecurity.

4. "You must be really funny, huh?"
Yeah, you'd think that, thanks to the likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Chris Farley. And, by that same logic, since you're a girl, you must be emotionally unstable and know nothing about football, huh?

3. "Muscle weighs more than fat!"
Wrong! Five pounds of muscle weighs exactly the same as five pounds of fat. Fat happens to be bulky, though, while muscle is tight and appears lean. This contrast creates the illusion that there is more fat per pound than muscle. Try this instead: "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

2. "Does this make me look fat?"
That's a loaded question even when asked to the sexiest of six packs. Asking it to a dude who's a bit beefy is only going to make him more even self-conscious.

1. "Don't eat that!"
Got a dietary suggestion? That's awesome. But, make it just that -- a suggestion, rather than an order you'd bark at your dog if he was slobbering on your flip-flops.

Matt Christensen has written for Maxim, Cosmopolitan and Match.com. He's phat.

More Good Stuff From Around the Web:

working out356 days of working out time-lapse video -- exercise really does pay off. (College Humor)
mug shotFunny mug shot t-shrits. (The Chive)
ellen degerneresThis is what Ellen Degeneres on American Idol will be like. (Funny or Die)