To think that it is not particularly healthy to "promote" being plus size?

[MaterTheGreater]

I'm sure this discussion's been done, so no yawns please, but on Radio 2 this afternoon they were talking about the story in the news that 1 in 4 items sold in women's clothing are a size 18 or over.

They were saying that this was great and that Adele was a great role model for women.

Now I agree that they shouldn't be sending size zero models down the catwalk, and I think it's great that some designers are using something like a size 14, but I really don't think it's in any woman's best interest to think that a size 18 is a good thing.

I love Adele - she has an amazing voice, and comes across as a lovely girl, but she is definitely "overweight", and healthwise that can never be a good thing.

I know that obviously if you are taller with a bigger frame, then you need a bigger size, but I think even at 5'11" (which a good friend of mine is), an 18 would still be overweight.

I am 5'8" and a size 18 on the top half and 16 on the bottom and I am totally miserable. I am constantly worried about my health and the effect that my weight has on it. I am currently trying to shed the pounds, which is hard, but I really do not want to be this size - it's disgusting and unhealthy and I hate all the "big is beautiful" bollocks.

Hmmm... just like it's 'simple' to give up fags, or booze?

I guess it depends on your definition of 'fit'. She walks about 6 miles a day with her dogs. She eats a good diet which maintains her weight. She would agree that she could do with losing it but that doesn't mean that not losing weight means her diet is bad.

I think another thing to consider is that a lot of people who are overweight eat in secret.

I do it myself - it may appear that I eat a well balanced diet, but I could easily eat a packet of biscuits if I had a day in front of the TV, or polish off a few chocolate bars/ bag of popcorn on a Friday night.

I think you only need something like an extra 500 cals a week (a Mars bar) to start gaining weight.

I think the knitwear woman who refuses to make larger sizes is a sanctimonious bitch. She's not a doctor, FFS. And it's bad business. It's not her business to judge her potential customers.

I do think our perception of what is "normal" has changed. I'm considered by some to be quite thin by some people but really I have a BMI of 21 and carry fat like most people. My mum was alot thinner at my age and seems to think I'm on the round side. Looking back at photos the women who were thought to be big in the 50s,60s and 70s would be quite average now.

I did hear that we should all aim for a waist measurement of half our height rather than a low BMI to be healthy.

Yes I use that measurement too happy. It makes me well within the healthy range so i like it

monkeyjamtart - no it is not such a terrible thing. But no-one said anything about size 12. We are talking about 18+

I have been a size 16 and I have been a size 12. I know which I prefer. I'm now inching up to a 14 and eating healthily and exercising to get back down to decent size 12.

I agree with OP that there is too much emphasis on 'loving your curves' and being 'plus size'. If they just called it 'fat' it wouldn't seem quite so socially acceptable?

YANBU

"they are now happily stocking sizes 6 - 4 in favour of ditching the sizes 16-18."

I'm not sure where you have got this information from, but every high street store I can think of stocks a size 16, and many of them stock an 18.

This was not always the case - these sizes have been introduced over the years as the average size has gone up.

20 years ago I think you would struggle to find a size 18 in most main stores.

Famous women size 12 - 16:

Jessica Simpson (gorgeous)
Nigella Lawson (every man's dream)
Coleen Rooney
Kate Winslet
Salma Hayek
Coleen Nolan
Crystal Renn
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Kelly Brook

None are obese, none are unrealistically slim.

TopShop do a size 16 - I have their jeans.

Ditto Debenhams.

I have seen size 18 in New Look and bigger sizes in their plus size range.

Didn't even know Avon did clothes.

River Island go up to an 18.

River Island's sizes are much smaller than everyone else's though. An 18 in RI is probably a 16 elsewhere.

I thought Kate Winslet was a 10. And I would have thought Kelly Brook was more like an 8. I've seen her in RL and even though she's got curves she's absolutely teeny (and incredibly gorgeous).

We all know being overweight increases risk of variety of illnesses but being too thin isn't great either.

We have to face facts that very few people have a perfectly healthy body or lifestyle and perhaps stop judging them for it. I am interested to know if the people on here being so anti plus size smoke or drink?

I'm not sure people are being anti plus size as being anti it being portrayed as a good thing. If you think I am anti it then no I don't smoke but I do drink.

Kelly brook, kate winslet and coleen rooney are all smaller than a 12

"We all know being overweight increases risk of variety of illnesses but being too thin isn't great either."

No-one has said that being too thin is great.

I started this thread to ascertain whether people thought it was good that being plus size or "big and beautiful" should be promoted.

Yes, you can be big and beautiful, but it is not healthy.

As someone said earlier, BMI is not foolproof, but a very good indicator.

We should all aim for a BMI of between 18 and 25 - for me personally that means I should weigh between 8st 7lb and 11st 10lbs - that's quite a big window to keep within and I have gone waaay over it!

FWIW I don't smoke and I have a drink once a month on average.

Pretty sure Kelly Brook is a 12 on the top half.

Kate Winslet may have slimmed down but used to be a 12-14.

Coleen Rooney also a 12 on bottom at one pint but again, may have slimmed down now.

OK, but if you have HUGE boobs, you could technically be a size 18 on top but with a bmi of 20-25 surely?

Figgyrolls - my boobs are enormous! They are a 36H and I am 5"8" with a BMI of 30.

Sorry and an 18 on top.