Average size of women-a statistic that does more harm than good.

delain

Well... I have to say Ive found that the people who sizes have changed are correct. Its been a while since I bought new clothes to any real degree, I've always liked clothes by Animal, and I've got a size 14 hoodie from about 3 years ago that is very snug around the bottom, and I had a size 16 one from a few months later that was perfect. Now I have lost some weight, but that size 14 hoodie is still snug.

I ordered 2 tops and a dress from their outlet cheap,on wednesday. Arrived yesterday, all in a 16 and they are all mahoosive. The difference is noticeable next to my size 16 jumper.

Its a total pain and I'm going to have to return at least one of the tops as it gapes massively around the chest and sides. Fortunately the other one is intended to be floaty.

Whilst I'm not going top complain too loudly about going down a size it would be nice if they had publicised it or put a note on the product page to save the hassle of returning things!

euronorris

Air_Cooled_75 wrote: »

Sainsbury's and Gap clothes are massive too. I bought a size 4 (UK) denim skirt from Gap and easily fit in to size 8 at Sainsbury's. However, Primark's clothes are smaller than they used to be. I have tops and cropped pants from a few years ago in a size 10 (still fit) but bought some new ones for hols last year and had to even venture to a 14 for the tops! Can't work it out but I do reckon some shops size their clothes more generously to make us feel better.

Primark's sizing is completely screwed up. I bought two sweaters from there recently. Exactly the same style, same size, just different colours. One is too tight, the other is verging on being too loose!

euronorris

moomoomama27 wrote: »

I'm smaller than that! I'm pretty sure my head looks in proportion! Some people can be skinny without being out of proportion! Why should someone not aspire to be slim?

I think the woman in that photo (I'm assuming Gloomendoom's OH) looks lovely. That is the size I'm trying to get back to at the moment, but I wouldn't want to be any slimmer than that.

To be clear, I am NOT on a diet (oh how I loathe that word). I am just getting back into my healthy eating and exercise regime because I let it slip (and that has side effects - weight gain, bad skin etc). Over time, I've come to learn that it is far more important for me to eat healthily, rather than simply eat less calories. And I actually now enjoy healthy meals with fresh fruit and veg (especially when it's so hot in our apartment. A salad will always be chosen over putting the oven on and making the apt even hotter! lol).

euronorris

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

But do they though? Do you have any evidence for this? I can't imagine anyone thinking, "oh well, I'm only just above average so that's okay then". More likely they are happy with how they are and don't understand what all the fuss is about.

Why all the bashing of those who are bigger but healthy. Why note those who are thin and unhealthy too?

To be fair, about 7 or 8 years ago, I was a 14, going on 16 (before I joined WW) and I can remember thinking to myself at the time 'well the UK average is a 14, so i'm not so bad. I don't really need to do anything yet.'.

Thankfully, I got sick of not feeling good, or good about myself, so I took steps to change things. But if I thought that way, there will definitely be others who do too.

And I wasn't bigger and healthy. I was living on McDonald's, crisps, chocolate, fizzy drinks, alcohol, chips etc. My diet was truly appalling, and I wasn't exercising either.

I knew a very slim girl at the time, with a diet much the same as mine. She wasn't exercising either. She never gained a lb and was a slim size 8. So she wasn't (isn't? no idea what her diet is like now) healthy either.

SmallL

'Healthy' is rather subjective to the individual, someone can feel good in themselves but eat 'junk' and still refer to themselves as healthy.
In my opinion 'healthy' is someone that eats food that gives them the right nutrients in quantities that aren't deficient or excessive .
I wouldnt consider myself 'healthy' as i know i dont eat enough calcium containing products as i dont like most dairy food. and i definately don't do enough exersize though (my excuse at the moment is exams! :P).

euronorris

SmallL wrote: »

'Healthy' is rather subjective to the individual, someone can feel good in themselves but eat 'junk' and still refer to themselves as healthy.
In my opinion 'healthy' is someone that eats food that gives them the right nutrients in quantities that aren't deficient or excessive .
I wouldnt consider myself 'healthy' as i know i dont eat enough calcium containing products as i dont like most dairy food. and i definately don't do enough exersize though (my excuse at the moment is exams! :P).

That's true. I've known quite a few overweight people who said they were healthy. Some of them were - they ate a balanced diet, didn't pig out on junk and exercised often. They just had a slow metabolism which meant they'd have to eat a lot less than the 'average' person in order to maintain a 'healthy' weight.

On the other hand, one of them wasn't. She thought she was, but she'd think nothing of devouring an entire stuffed crust pizza to herself (with a fried egg on top), have garlic bread before that, a dessert afterwards and wash it all down with 3 or 4 glasses of wine. All at lunchtime. A similar meal would be eaten in the evening. She considered herself healthy because she didn't snack on crisps or chocolate!

Similarly, the very slim girl I mentioned before, believed she was healthy simply because she was slim. Her diet was appalling and she never exercised. That is NOT healthy.

Bluemeanie_2

RubyRue wrote: »

Agree, in my family we are tall, my dad is 6'8 and I'm not far off 6'. I'm a size 14 in some shops and 16 in others but my weight isn't classed as over weight and apart from asthma I'm healthy.

This is my problem to with it being too focused on dress size. I am 5 feet 11 and a 14 allover. I weigh 11st 13lbs. My healthy BMI range for my height is 10st 3lbs to 12st 11lbs, so as you can see from my weight I am by no means "fat", in fact I've been told I am very slender.

Where as my friends who is 5 feet 2 and a 16 is very fat. (I say that with no malice at all), just observation.

beccad

I don't understand the huge focus on size? It varies so much (I can be anything from an 8 to a 16) and doesn't say much about someone's health or levels of fat, particularly the visceral stuff you can't see.

BMI is only a guide - it was devised as a weight guide for people with sedentry lifestyles!

claire16c

beccad wrote: »

(I can be anything from an 8 to a 16)

How is that even possible? I know shops can vary, but not that much!

Ames

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Try Nicole Farhi: I am reliably informed that all her clothing is sized down, so her 14s will fit you if you're a 16.

It males me wonder sometimes exactly what manufacturers and retailers are up to: these organisations are supposed to be astute profit-making busineses. If it's true that the average size is indeed a 16 why do they bother making all those size 6s and 8s? They'd make more money offering greater quantities of 14 and upwards. Not every woman who wears and 18 or larger wants to wear a shapeless tent.

On the other hand, when I rule the world it will be a hanging offence to sell leggings in anything larger than a 14 unless the buyer can show a gym-membership card or similar

Can I ask why you have a problem with it? I'm an 18-22 bottom depending on style and shop, and I love leggings. They cost the same as tights but don't ladder or go through the toe (obviously), so I wear them under short dresses - I'm tall and have some that I feel are uncomfortably short on me (they're not really, they come to my knees but I'm always paranoid the wind's going to blow and show everything!). Or if I'm daring then under a long top/short dress that comes down to mid thigh.

I'd never wear them out of the house with a short top though (well I did once coming home from a festival when everything else was packed away and I was wet through, but it was just me and my mate). But it's just as horrible to see big women in tight dresses that show every bulge.