To feel depressed by this DM article re size 16

[Rachtoteach]

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2342207/Is-size-16-normal--danger-These-women-Britains-common-dress-size-youd-expect-healthy-battery-medical-tests-came-surprising-worrying-results.html

After 37 years on this planet I have finally developed something I wish more women could have - an acceptance of who I am and the ability of being happy in my own body..... even though - shock, horror - I am 5ft2, size 16, 11 something stone. Anyway, I don't cry in the changing rooms anymore . I exercise 3 x week, eat a balanced-ish diet, don't smoke, blah blah blah.

It just makes me sad and mad that the DM have taken 4 size 16 women who each turn out to have some health issues, and declare (effectively) all us size 16 women a picture of ill-health! On the results of four women?!! And implying, or least leaving the reader with the impression, that any other (smaller sized) women would conversely be in tip-top health - all of them, simply based on their size!

AIBU to think that there must be some healthy size 16 women out there and probably some not so healthy smaller women? If I am BU then I may as well give up now as I know I am unlikely to ever be much smaller than I am now.

[VinegarDrinker]

" And the trouble with size 16 is that any more weight gain at all and you are into the verging on obese category."

If you are 5'2" maybe.

I'd have to gain at least 20 kg to get into the obese range.

[WorraLiberty]

LessMissAbs I was referring to the post about the personal trainer.

It seems that quite often when the subject of BMI is raised, some people will always come on and say "Well I know someone who's an athlete/bodybuilder and their BMI makes them obese...therefore the whole thing is stupid".

But all that does is take the spotlight off the issue...which is the obesity pandemic.

It's like me saying, "Well I know an 85yr old who smokes and she's as fit as a fiddle".

All well and good, but hardly an advert for smoking.

[WorraLiberty]

VinegarDrinker you've confused me with another poster if you think I said a visible inch of fat anywhere on your body = unhealthy

I have in the past looked in the mirror whilst naked and seen my large belly that quite frankly made me look around 3 months pregnant.

However my BMI was well within the healthy range.

All that Visceral fat around my organs was unhealthy so I made sure to step up a vigorous exercise routine.

Remember BMI is a guide and many other things need to be considered.

[justneedhandholding]

Worra - I didn't mean it like that, I was explaining the limitations but totally agree with it as a guide for normal people. I really didn't think I had worded my post to sound as if that was what I wad meaning!

[VinegarDrinker]

Except.... if the fat Is visible in front of your muscles then by definition it isn't around your organs.... (although I agree that central obesity is Not A Good Thing in general).

[Latara]

YANBU.

But i never worry about dress size. I wear a size 12-14 on my bottom half and a size 14-18 (depending on the shop) on my top half. So i don't know what size i really am; i go by weight (2 stone left to lose) and measurements instead.

[MrsGSR]

Clothes size is a very flawed way to determine health. BMI is accurate for most average people, but again is far from perfect. Body fat is a much better measure, especially as there are some people who are very slim but with a high body fat %. It's also accurate for those who weight train and have more muscle than average, which BMI doesn't take into account.

The DM will always generalize, although the majority may not be, you can be healthy at a size 16.

[justneedhandholding]

on the nhs.uk website is says you are at a higher risk of health problems if your waist measures over 31.5inches if you are female or 37.5 if you are male. You are at risk of even higher problems if over 34.5 inches or 40 inches for men.

[justneedhandholding]

Why is my waist measurment important?

[justneedhandholding]

clearly my spelling is not important!!!

[noddyboulder]

Clothing size has also changed dramatically in the past 20 years - as has been pointed out, a current size 16 is more like a 20 in old money.

Compare yourself to these old measurements:

butterick.mccall.com/misses--misses--petites-pages-459.php

I am a 12 there, but have increasingly found myself wearing size 8 clothing now, despite the fact that I weighed 9lbs less at university - and wore size 12 clothes back then. I am sorry, but GB is kidding itself that it doesn't have a problem. And I say this as someone who has recently lost a stone myself after I went on a work trip to south-central Africa and realised I looked like a butterball compared to everyone there.

[VinegarDrinker]

Waist-to-hip ratio is useful in predicting T2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems, probably more so than just looking at waist measurement.

(Not hugely useful in pregnancy though!)

[LessMissAbs]

Worraliberty LessMissAbs I was referring to the post about the personal trainer. It seems that quite often when the subject of BMI is raised, some people will always come on and say "Well I know someone who's an athlete/bodybuilder and their BMI makes them obese...therefore the whole thing is stupid"

Again, I read things on here that I simply don't see in real life. I have never seen any of those supposed size 14/16 top athletes either. I don't see them at the running track or on tv. I didn't see them when I did triathlon either - I did see a few slightly larger athletes, some of whom were not bad, but they were not at the front of the field. The hard truth is that in sports where moving fast under your own body power is the ultimate goal, its all about power to weight ratio. You want to have the lowest possible weight for the maximum power output, and that means no excess fat other than the basic you need for enzyme function, body health and so on.

I guess in activities such as aerobics classes, you might get participants who are larger, or certainly in rugby etc where large size is a benefit. But your average runner on the street will nearly always go faster if they lose any excess weight they are carrying. Ditto your average cyclist.

I'm pretty muscly, but I've never managed to go up a dress size because of it! In fact, I was putting on a bit of weight last summer and when I lost it, it was amazing how much came off my shoulders. In terms of dresses being tight around the shoulders and then fitting. This coincided with my taking up triathlon training again and hence plenty of front crawl swimming.

[WorraLiberty]

Also, as much as there will of course be some people who are size 16 and not overweight...it's worth remembering that almost half the women in the UK who are of childbearing age, are overweight or obese.

So I'd guess there are far more people who wear a size 16 who are actually overweight.

[justneedhandholding]

I don't quite fit into the old style measurements as I have small hips/tummy but not a tiny waist. They are still probably 2 sizes out from the link i put on thpugh, however I am not sure how accurate they are in comparison to what was sold in stores. I have trousers in a size 10 or 12 from years ago and they still fit (just), I am not quite as slim as I was but probably more toned.

[WorraLiberty]

This coincided with my taking up triathlon training again and hence plenty of front crawl swimming

I'm out of breath just reading that

[ILikeBirds]

"I have never seen any of those supposed size 14/16 top athletes either"

The argument is that they have a high bmi, not a big dress size. My bmi is just tipping into the overweight category but I wear size 8/10 and my waist is 26.5"

[LessMissAbs]

Reading the article itself, one of the subjects is 36 - I can't believe that. She is 11 1/2 stones at 5 feet 6 and describes how eating one digestive biscuit can turn into a whole packet. How on earth can anyone eat a whole packet of biscuits in one sitting? And why would you do that to yourself?

And it may be harsh, but 11 1/2 stones is a weight I would associate with a medium sized man.

Another subject is 14 1/2 stones at 5 feet 7! My husband is 6 feet 1 and weighs much less than that, yet on here I am supposed to be believe it is a healthy normal weight!

Yes, they don't look too bad because they have been photographed in soft lightning in those wraparound dresses.

The medical advice is generally to exercise by "brisk walking" - I would hope I would be in my seventies by the time I have to resort to bloody "brisk walking" as an exercise. I found that whole article really shocking. It is as if those women have given up on maintaining their weight. I know women of 50 who look 10 years younger than every single subject in that article (including the one of supposedly 36).

Really, really shocked. As I say, most of my friends do sport of some sort or other, or if overweight, admit they are unhappy with it and would love/are trying to lose some. Its like some kind of parallel universe.

[CoteDAzur]

"I would hope I would be in my seventies by the time I have to resort to bloody "brisk walking" as an exercise"

I agree, wholeheartedly.

My dad is 73 and walks 6 km in 1 hr several times a week. That is pretty "brisk" imho.

[Remotecontrolduck]

I would say the vast majority of size 16s are overweight, which broadly speaking is damaging to health. I am short and would be grossly obese at size 16.

If you feel fine and like your body then that's great, but ultimately long term it's likely to cause you problems even if it isn't now. If you're willing to accept the risk that's fine, and of course a size 8 can be unhealthy too, and you can be struck down by anything at any time, at any weight.

[Spero]

Sadly, I can attest it is quite easy to eat an entire packet of bourbon biscuits in 20 minutes.

[InMySpareTime]

ILikeBirds me too! My BMI is at the top end of healthy, but I'm a size 6/8 because I'm only 5ft tall.
Waist measurement is a bit of a flawed tool too, as taller people will have broader waists. Mine is 24", though on the vintage measurements I was still an 8 at that!
I think it comes down to overall health, and no one measure can adequately assess health risks, as people have too many variables in their lives.

[Oblomov]

They all do look very glam.
I suit wrap around dresses, but I sure don't look like any of those 4 ladies.

[Rosa]

Heysoulsister and pretty kitty if the 'I walk everywhere' excuse is aimed at me where I live you have no bloody option but to walk simply as we have no cars, bikes, and a bus is taken only as the pavement ceases and its either that or swim.
I tried the no processed refined organic food for 2 weeks cost me a fortune and lost 1kg fat and gained 1.5kg water (hmm)

[Rosa]

Opps wrong brackets!