Forget the broad, skinny and rounded, new research shows how men’s body shapes have change.

For years men came in three basic body shapes – Broad, Skinny and Rounded. But now researchers have identified seven major new profiles – the Nacho, Pear, String Bean, Tomato, Brick, Snowman and Cucumber – to represent the changing figure of the Great British bloke.

According to the comprehensive ‘Body Report’, conducted by leading menswear retailer Jacamo, most men are going pear shaped. Almost half (49 per cent) of the sample identify themselves as pear-shaped and carrying a little extra weight around the middle,  15 per cent think they’re a sleek straight up and down Cucumber, while the rounded Tomato represents one in ten (10.4 per cent).

The broad bodied Brick struck a chord with 9.7 per cent, but just one in twenty see themselves as a broad shouldered, slim-waisted Nacho. Bringing up the rear, 4.3 per cent describe themselves as a String Bean (very skinny and lean) or a Snowman (rounded figure of eight shape).

Jacamo’s ‘Body Report’ took an in-depth look at the changing shape of man and his relationship with his figure too, unveiling that blokes suffer from the same body confidence issues as women.

It found that 28 is the age that men are happiest with their body with 40 per cent epitomising it as the time they had the perfect shape for their age. A third felt they were most body confident and least self-conscious at this point, and a quarter earmarked it as the time in their lives when they could wear what they wanted.  A further one in five felt most attractive at this age too.

Almost three quarters (72 per cent) dislike their body and actively want to change it, and a further one in six (16 per cent) don’t like anything about their figure or features.

One in seven avoids the opposite sex because their body confidence is at an all time low, and one in eight claims their body shape makes them feel depressed. One in six guys (16.4 per cent) have let their body hang-ups get in the way of clothes shopping with almost two thirds (59 per cent) struggling to find garments to fit their figure. A shocking one in twenty have even put off socialising with friends because they’re embarrassed about their body shape.

Feeling under pressure to change, two thirds of men (60 per cent) blame themselves for their body bug bears and 16 per cent blame the media’s portrayal of men for their body angst. One in ten feel hassled by their partner to trim down (10 per cent) while one in twelve accuse male celebrities that women lust after for putting them under pressure.

So it will come as no surprise that men want to look different.  Almost half of those questioned want to be a Cucumber (46 per cent), followed closely by a third longing for that burly Nacho physique. A whopping 47 per cent of blokes want to lose weight, one in six (17 per cent) crave a muscular body and one in twelve (7.9 per cent) would like to be taller.

On average, blokes rate themselves five out of ten for attractiveness and interestingly most men (14 per cent) pick their face as their best feature, closely followed by their bums (11 per cent) and their chest (10 per cent).

The once pear-shaped Ricky Gervais was voted the guy who best represents the average British man securing one in eight votes (12.5 per cent). Brick-like Robbie Williams came a close second with one in ten votes, followed by Cucumbers David Beckham and Freddie Flintoff (9.4 per cent and 7.4 per cent consecutively).

The new body types are

1. Pear – a little bit larger around the middle
2. Cucumber – straight up and down with no extra weight
3. Tomato – slightly chubby all over
4. Brick – broad all over
5. Nacho – broad shoulders and slim waistline
6. String bean – very skinny and lean
7. Snowman – rounded around the stomach and chest creating a figure of eight like shape

You might be interest in our new video on the subject as well