most of the difference between softer and firmer fat has to do with where the fat is being deposited. I posted on similar threads in the past but briefly.... if you build subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) it will be softer. If you build visceral fat (fat inside the abdominal cavity, or under the muscles) it will be firmer because the fat is pushing out underneath firmer muscles.

Estrogen promotes subcutaneous fat deposition, as well as exercising and also people with high sensitivities to insulin will make this type of fat.

Testosterone and lower insulin sensitivity will lead to more visceral fat. Genetics also play a role, as does age. Younger people will be more likely to produce a firmer fat buildup because they have thicker skin and connective tissues.

Like previous posters have mentioned age, and genetics are the main players, but muscle mass will make the body firmer in general and lead to a more toned appearance.

there are also numerous hormonal changes that take place with overeating, and this is one of the factors that causes increased hunger with increased eating. the increased volume of your stomach is probably part of the equation as previous posts have stated, but it is rather complex and is also dependent on your cortisol and insulin levels after a big meal.

you are more likely to have a hangover as an obese person. this is because your body is composed of less water by proportion when you are obese. the metabolic waste produced from breakdown of alcohol is water soluble, therefore obese people concentrate these products relative to non-obese people and are more likely to have hangovers due to increased concentrations of acetaldehyde and be dehydrated morning after.

obese people can help avoid hangovers by drinking water before going to bed after drinking, and some sugar is also a good idea since alcohol activates a pathway that sends sugars and fats into molecular building pathyways rather than allowing them to be consumed for energy production. the resulting low sugar, or hypoglycemia is also unpleasant and contributes to the hangover.

no formative experience really, but i remember watching charolette's web as a child and being fascinated by the scene where the rat is so stuffed at the fair that he cant move.....also watching other cartoon that expressed enormous amounts of weight gain in a rapid sequence

i imagine most people on here had similar notions at an early age....and while a soft woman has the benefits of feeling better than a bony thin one, i cant say that i formed any preference for larger women based on sexual experience.....my love of roundness began far earlier than my awareness of sex or sexuality....although my sexual preference now is certainly for heavy gals, it bothers me greatly that people seem to feel this preference is an oddity...and is costly in relationships in that most large women in the US have horrible self image and self esteem...what a shame

Weight gain occurs in various distributions due to a variety of factors. Some people have already hit on major factors such as genetics and how your clothes can impact the adipose distribution. A lot of the puzzle has to do with your bodies sensitivity to insulin. Healthy (if you can call it that) weight gain, where your body is still sensitive to insulin, will tend to cause fat accumulation sucutaneously (under the skin). This will mean you will develop more soft jiggly fat. As the body becomes accustomed to excess sugar in the blood, cells lose sensitivity to insulin and fat tends to deposite in the abdominal cavity which causes a bulge underneath the abdominal muscles and so the belly will be more firm due the muscular rigidity holding the fat inside. Along with that belly fat and diabetes often comes vascular disease, and so the parts of the body at the end of very long arteries (the arms and legs) become starved of blood and will lose muscle mass and become thin and lankey. Hence the typical huge belly with chicken legs look in some older folks.

As Mr. Bear stated above, trans fats and saturated fats can cause a more "stiff" fat becuase those molecules tend to cause insulin insensitivity in your body. The deposition will largely be intra-abdominal, inside your belly, and cause the harder apple shaped gut.

Testosterone also seems to affect fat distribution. More testosterone tends to cause intraabdominal fat deposition. This is often demonstrated in PCOS, a type of female hormonal disorder, where women produce an excess of sex hormones and are also often "apple" shaped. There isn't much you can do about that as long as you have you boy parts, and i am not advocating removing those any time soon.

A possible way to overcome this is to exercise a bit to prevent insulin insensitivity and therefore belly fat from forming while maintaining enough caloric comsumption to gain weight. You may put weight on in a more stereotypical pear shape. If you can also avoid the "bad fats" as Kat implied then you will also increase your odds of developing a softer fat. This is not a guarantee, as your genes, current insulin sensitivity, clothes, and perhaps other factors such as your manism also play a role in your general fat distribution, but best of luck to you.

Sorry to write so much, but i hope you may find it helpful.