Everyone is so thin?!

[weeducky]

On holiday at the moment. I swear that a good 80% of the women here with their kids are very very slim with flat stomachs, walking around confidently in low waisted bikinis. I thought the average was a size 14, but I'm not seeing it at all! I'm a 10- bit of a tummy from pregnancies and wouldn't wear a bikini because of stretch marks and honestly I'm feeling quite the chubby one here! Does everyone just diet for holiday or something or am I at some highly unusual resort? It's nowhere particularly fancy, just a standard TUI resort in Europe.

I’m curious about this too.

I am fat. I am 5ft 6 and 14 stone. I haven’t always been this way. When I was younger, right up till 30ish I was about 9/10 stone but a combination of bad autoimmune issues and medication have meant it’s slowly piled on together with a general
lack of interest in exercise and - being honest- a love of foods that aren’t good for me, especially cakes.

I don’t know why on the whole women in France / Spain etc tend to be slimmer. I suspect they just eat less and have more willpower? No idea.

What makes us different to France etc? I’m really interested

What France does really well is value for money mass catering. The university restaurant was excellent, for example. They do have proper meals and don't snack. It's much harder to find a chocolate bar.

They clearly have very different genes though as I find it absolute diet Kryptonite. I'd be the size of a house if I lived in France for a long time. I'm not programmed to eat my main meal at lunch time and was ravenous again by the evening. French bread is just empty calories- so many calories and not filling at all. Also see croissants and their like. Then there is cheese, just so much nice cheese. Then patisseries- quite happy to skip Greggs here but walking past all those tarts and pastries in France is much harder. Then wine, so much nice cheap wine. And so on.

I was abroad lots this year and I found it noticeable how much slimmer the women were compared to here. I presumed it was due to how hot it was and how uncomfortable it must be to be over weight in the sun hence they more of a effort to keep their weight in check.
It is also true with regards money, you rarely see overweight wealthy women. Of course they exist but they generally look better. More time, access to better food, classes etc

Yes, you are right about the climate. We are a cold and damp little island even compared to Northern Europe who seem to get more reliable summer weather and have more outdoorsy lifestyles.

In Europe and Turkey women who don’t look perfect aren’t often seen on beaches. It’s as simple as that. The UK values women of all shapes and sizes in ways Europe is light years behind - it’s not a good thing.

I meant it is a good thing lol

Why ARE we such a fat country though? What makes us different to France etc? I’m really interested.

The British work longer hours that most other European countries. In France they have much longer lunch breaks and have a proper meal, while many in the UK are snacking on convenience food.

Those are quite odd assumptions!
Holiday - lipo
Slim - ballet

I found that in Egypt recently mainly French and German women.

I worked with quite a lot of French colleagues. Less processed food, less snacking, take time over food, higher smoking levels. In the London office we had 1 smoker. In the French office around 30 smokers. I think this can suppress appetite too.

I'm a similar weight you and a 10-12. Another fewlb lighter and I start feeling too thin. I like a few curves. I feel confident in a bikini because I like my body, not because it fits any particular standards.

Women in the UK also drink alot more than they let on. l am slim at 53, but l don't drink .

The Brits are pretty fat. You've just noticed?

WTF

When I was in marmaris recently the majority of the people were British and they were all different sizes and all in bikinis. Most size 14 plus we're not in the least bit self conscious, even older ladies, fair play to them I say.

I’m in Austria right now. The tourists here are Austrian, German and Dutch. Lots of mum tums and curvy ladies in 2 pieces. I’ve found it quite refreshing. I was in Spain in June and I thought the same. I’m on a camp site type place (think eurocamp type thing but not) maybe if you are at a trendy place it’s different.

Have lived in Switzerland and France. I think it’s partly down to more ‘structured’ eating ie eating at the table, with company, no snacking etc etc. It starts at nursery school salad, meat/fish course, cheese, fruit - a bit of everything in order. If we went to any kind of public event with food, we’d always head to the food area at 11.50, so no queues and then the (much more civilised) locals would all arrive at 12
on the dot…..
You might eat a particular cake - but only a few times a year when whatever festival is being celebrated. In CH in particular there’s very little low fat/diet food. Here it’s much more a grazing culture - which is fatal for me. Also, many more people are closer to the land,’just a generation or two from being farmers & will often have spent summers with grandparents in the country who grow a lot of veg.
We work long hours here/commute more/tend to have less family and state support for families. It makes a huge difference.

I just enjoy my holiday, I certainly don't sit around the pool / beach watching all of the other guests and counting how many are a size 10 or size 20!!!!! guessing what nationality they are and making a mental note of the type of bikini they are wearing!!!!!!! WTF

This is interesting, particularly with regards to trajectory.
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/202473#3

Rates of overweight are certainly not low in France, Italy or Spain.

People in UK were generally so much slimmer until the 1990’s.
As a Nation, we have got much fatter , as have dogs.
(Obese pets are a real issue, too.)
I saw several old films, footage of London In 1960’s.. Everyone looks so slim compared to street scenes nowadays.

I often notice that the women with the taut, enviable bodies that I see walking round the pool on holiday are also smokers (known appetite suppressant).

@weeducky just holiday in the UK - with global warming it's warm enough and everyone is fat, tattooed and dressed inappropriately for their size (but they will all tell you in the next 30 minutes that it's fine for everyone else to view it).

Honestly, OP you need to loose half a stone, but that's it!

British people have just got too fat and it's unhealthy and embarrassing. As someone who puts on weight easily - just don't eat too much....

I'm 5ft and 9.5stone which makes me quite chubby. Size 10-12. I'd say that my size was larger than most*

Not chubby in the slightest. I'm 5'1 and 9 stone, size 12, I must just have bigger bones

But then you stink, age horribly decades earlier than your peers and increase your risk of an agonisingly painful death, gasping for breath.

I went to Tenerife in May on a TUI holiday, I'd say most people there were a healthy weight for their height or curvy. A lot of pregnant women too, myself included 😅