All that only really applies
In groups of shallow, stupid women. My confusion lies in the groups who, as a whole, are hapy with themselves, and someone who genuinely is undeniably huge whinges about it with no reference to any attempt to rectify the situation. There's no mutual bonding, and no one would be fussed if they were fat and comfortable, but yet even the enlightened women are incapable of not blurting out the same false compliments that are being fished for.

At least in the situations you describe there's some vaguely acceptable motivation for the mutual bullshitting
( greedyostrich Cheese is evil! Cheddar is VOODOO!, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 19:34, 2 replies)

Yeah
I've never actually observed that, but would definitely find it disturbing...for the record, whenever fat friends of either gender have complained about it I've always suggested - in a supportive manner - that they do something practical about it, and none of them have ever been offended. Maybe the people I hang out with are just too cool for that.

As for groups of shallow stupid women, like I said, there seem to be so many women who are great in mixed company but screaming harpies in an all-female group. It's really weird and disturbing.
(grandmasterfluffles Come to my Armageddon party on, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 19:40, closed)

Conclusion
Women = Disturbing
( greedyostrich Cheese is evil! Cheddar is VOODOO!, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 19:43, closed)

See
now you're actually being sexist ;)

Women = come in lots of different types, just like men
Weird screaming harpy women who pinch their love handles in the ladies = disturbing

;)
(grandmasterfluffles Come to my Armageddon party on, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 19:50, closed)

Hey
I was just drawing conclusions from what you said ;-)

If I include my experience then women are indeed composed of loonies and lovelies, and many a combination of the two.
( greedyostrich Cheese is evil! Cheddar is VOODOO!, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 20:17, closed)

And another thing
And this REALLY bugs me - some women who've got a fat friend who really needs to lose weight, or even a not-particularly-fat friend who's trying to eat healthier and get more exercise to improve her self-esteem more than anything else, will be really unsupportive of her efforts. I know it's meant kindly, but it's just horrid.
(grandmasterfluffles Come to my Armageddon party on, Sat 2 Jan 2010, 19:49, closed)