Why are opera singers usually overweight?

Question:

Why are opera singers usually overweight?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There is no correlation between weight and singing ability. The stereotype has arisen because of singers like Pavoratti who have an overwhelming desire to eat. As far as it giving you help in singing, if anything, it actually hinders you. Singers are now being told that they cannot perform unless they slim down. Also there are singers such as Nathan Gunn (watch him in the Met Broadcast of the Magic Flute) who are in high demand in large part because of their looks (he is paid extra to take off his shirt and show his six pack). Opera is no longer about standing and singing (like the fat generation). It is about art and theater. To say that opera singers are usually overweight only goes to show that you have probably never seen an opera.