Be honest... do you think being a size 10 is more attractive than a size 14?

[WhateverTheySay]

Just that... no offence intended it's just to settle an argument I'm interested in people's views. Let's say specifically you have an average / reasonably attractive looking woman of average height, do you think she will look better as a size 10 than she does a 14?

some things were still rationed when I was born and a lot of people were still malnourished after six years of war - I’m not sure that’s something we should aspire to.

I’m not asking people to aspire to the post war years. What an odd, narrow notion.

When I look through my parents (would be in their 80s) and grandparents (long dead) photo albums, everyone looks completely normal / average, neither nor thin. Akin to a modern day size 10.

Let’s agree to disagree shall we?

I don't suit losing a lot of weight. It really comes off my hands and face and I look gaunt and bony (as opposed to slimmer than average etc). When I lost lots of weight due to stress after separation from DS1's dad people assumed I had an eating disorder. I never went below a ten despite weighing 7st 8. I was not hugely underweight by BMI (17.6) but needed to be heavier to be well. My GP told me to gain at least a stone. It's so variable between people.

I was not hugely underweight by BMI (17.6) but needed to be heavier to be well.

I’m sorry but that really was hugely underweight. That shouldn’t be minimised.

@TheOneLeggedJockey

some things were still rationed when I was born and a lot of people were still malnourished after six years of war - I’m not sure that’s something we should aspire to.

I’m not asking people to aspire to the post war years. What an odd, narrow notion.

When I look through my parents (would be in their 80s) and grandparents (long dead) photo albums, everyone looks completely normal / average, neither nor thin. Akin to a modern day size 10.

Let’s agree to disagree shall we?

You didn’t specify your “back in the day”, I specified mine. It’s hardly odd nor narrow. Happy not to engage with someone who uses those silly faces.

@PurpleDaisies it's 0.9 below healthy BMI. I'm not saying it's great but most people don't bat an eyelid at being 0.9 over a healthy BMI.

Generally speaking, yes. But it's all personal preference and it also depends on the shape of the lady in question. I prefer being a size 10 but that doesn't mean a size 14 can't be just as beautiful. It's very much a personal opinion thing.

I definitely look better a size 10. My sister looks better a size 14. It differs from person to person.

Depends on your height I would have thought. I am tall and have been a size ten and my boobs all but disappeared and my top half looked too bony all over. Legs were good though! I need to be a 12/14 to look in proportion.

You didn’t specify your “back in the day”, I specified mine. It’s hardly odd nor narrow. Happy not to engage with someone who uses those silly faces.

I didn’t specify it because I meant ‘all time’, ‘history’ whatever you want to call the entire period of human existence prior to processed food.

You then randomly bring in the post-war era of rationing, which was all of, what, a decade(?) - of course that’s narrow.

It very much differs individually! I’m 5’9 and a size 14/16. I probably look best a size 12/14. I have been a size 10 but I was exceptionally ill and I looked and felt absolutely awful.

I was not hugely underweight by BMI (17.6) but needed to be heavier to be well.

I’m sorry but that really was hugely underweight. That shouldn’t be minimised.

The threshold is 18.5. 17.6 is only 0.9 below that.

Would you class somebody with a BMI of 25.9 as hugely overweight?

This thread is hugely depressing. Who the fuck cares

Mostly yes. Not if someone is very tall and stockier build.

Most people of middling heights won’t have an healthily low BMI at size 10, and size 14 won’t be considered an overweight BMI either.

We aren’t talking about underweight and overweight, but opposite ends of the healthy weight spectrum. It’s simply a matter of genetics and opinions are subjective.

@Hellothere19999

This thread is hugely depressing. Who the fuck cares

The OP clearly does. Wish they’d come back and let us know who thinks what in the argument they were having.

0.9 .....is this in any way normal behaviour?

@Changi

I was not hugely underweight by BMI (17.6) but needed to be heavier to be well.

I’m sorry but that really was hugely underweight. That shouldn’t be minimised.

The threshold is 18.5. 17.6 is only 0.9 below that.

Would you class somebody with a BMI of 25.9 as hugely overweight?

If your BMI is in range your usually slim to start with. To go slightly over your ok... to drop below average you could well look poorly!

@Changi

I was not hugely underweight by BMI (17.6) but needed to be heavier to be well.

I’m sorry but that really was hugely underweight. That shouldn’t be minimised.

The threshold is 18.5. 17.6 is only 0.9 below that.

Would you class somebody with a BMI of 25.9 as hugely overweight?

Look at the bands. There’s a much wider range at the overweight end of the spectrum because you can be more over the ideal weight range than the underweight range without it having serious health consequences. Being 0.9 under the minimum bmi is much worse than being 0.9 over the top of the ideal band.

Lots of posters with disordered eating frequent the site. A bmi of 17.6 is not “a little bit underweight”.

@randomer

0.9 .....is this in any way normal behaviour?

I don’t understand what you mean by “is this normal behaviour”?

Yes a 10 looks better in most cases. I've been both. Some can carry 14 off really well though, depends on the shape and face.

Is having the knowledge at your fingertips, of a 0.9 difference in BMI in any way normal?

Yes

@randomer

Is having the knowledge at your fingertips, of a 0.9 difference in BMI in any way normal?

Er, I think it’s normal to know your own bmi, it’s normal to know what the range is and it’s normal to be able to do simple maths to calculate a difference.

All of that is normal behaviour.

It's a ridiculous question.

An unfit, untoned, unhealthy 10, 12 or size 14 won't look good.
A fit, toned and healthy person will look good whether they're a size 10, 12, 14 or 16

@Empressofthemundane

Most people of middling heights won’t have an healthily low BMI at size 10, and size 14 won’t be considered an overweight BMI either.

We aren’t talking about underweight and overweight, but opposite ends of the healthy weight spectrum. It’s simply a matter of genetics and opinions are subjective.

I’m 5”5 and a definite size 12 or Medium in all shops I shop in (Next, House of Fraser, Ted Baker, Karen Mullen etc).

I’m clinically overweight. As are my Size 12 DM, Size 14 Auntie and Size 12 Colleague. My BMI is 29.8. I’m pretty sure we aren’t unusual!

At BMI 23-25 I’m a size 10. I’d have to be a size 4 in the same shops to be clinically underweight.