What is the average......

[lookeelikee]

body size of a woman in the UK? Because frankly I'm baffled. I thought it was 12 but apparently is 16

I would say 10-12

Where do you live @Strawberryteabag?
I’m a 10 and people say I’m skinny 🙄
average round here is 16/18 I’d say.

I think it’s 16.

I’d say it’s impossible to say as a size 10 in one shop could be anything from an 8-14 in another (and sometimes even in the same shop!)

MNers are very easily baffled!

If Mumsnet is to be believed, the average clothes size for a woman in the UK is a size 8. 🙄

Anything above a size 10, and the woman is clearly overweight.

Its 16 a quick Google search will tell you that

It’s been 16 for years.

That doesn’t mean most women are a 16 though. It’s a mean average, not a median or mode average. It also encompasses all ages. The average size of women aged 18 to 25 is likely to be lower than the average size women aged 55 to 70, for example.

It also includes women of all heights, and a size 16 woman who is 5’10” is going to look very different and is much more likely to be a healthy weight than a woman who is a 16 at 5’1”.

Average can be (and probably is) overweight though. So it's perfectly possible that the average is 16, even if everything over 10 is overweight (not saying it is - depends on height, build etc). Just pointing out that your post isn't logical.

I’m a 12 and a big fatty comparatively where I live. It’s very income based. If you have money you focus on being thin.

Im 16, having been 10-12 all my life. Its not difficult to be 16 - I have mahoosive hips. I keep complaining about being overweight, but I probably don't look it much, but in reality I am only a few pounds away from being obese.

FFS, I remember when it was 14 and it was already very different from other countries. Do people think it is ok?
(I do think it's clearly a systemic problem, not an individual "willpower" issue)

I wonder if it’s gone down because of WLIs?

Definitely area dependent, when I go to central London for work I’m usually one of the largest people i see. In a low income town near me I fit right in and often see several people bigger.

Over what age group? 20-30 will be lower than 20-60. I'd expect it to be 16-18 if a third of women are obese.

If someone does no exercise and eats processed food & takeaways, they're probably overweight.

I was thinking this. A few years ago I’d have agreed with size 16 but so many people are on MJ now I think it might be a bit smaller.

Same.
Whereas when we visit ILs, I’m told I must starve myself and why do I want to be ‘so thin’.
Totally different parts of the country and socioeconomic groups!

I thought it was 14

16 sounds about right, there are a lot of older women that are quite short and stout. I particularly notice this and realise that is why it is so hard for me to buy clothes as I'm a tall size 14 old woman and everything is made for these short stout women

It’s officially 16 is it not? Certainly looks it tbh

I wonder this. I definitely notice people are smaller than a few years ago.

Yes the average woman in UK is size 16. And yes, overweight.

Some women will be “healthy” weight and a very small number “underweight” then there’s “obese” and “morbidly obese” I think. Unless the terminology has changed again.

Use of WLI has stopped the average continuing to climb and I should think eventually the average might even fall back to size 14?

I was overweight/obese when wearing size 14 clothes.

I don’t think clothes sizes work because a tall, healthy weight woman and a short overweight woman can both be a 16.

I think the average woman is a stone or two overweight for their height.

It’s Class I, II and III Obesity now. Not morbidly obese. Also best to refer to someone as with or having obesity. You wouldn’t say a ‘terminally cancerous woman’ so we don’t say ‘a morbidly obese woman’.

I'm 5'7 aged 50 and a size 10-12 and leaner and more toned than most people with more muscly legs. I'm about an average size in the gym in an area where people are slimmer than average, which has a lot of younger people.