... To surmise that 'naturally skinny' goes hand in with either eating or digestive disorders

[5ChildrenAndIt]

The last counter-example in my circle of friends has just been diagnosed as Coeliac.

I now know no one who is vogue-slim without either food trauma in their past or under medical treatment for digestion or immune disorders.

I'm a bit unsettled by it tbh! Do skinny, healthy and happy people even exist?

My former nanny, size 8 skinny. Eats like a horse and struggles to maintain her 8 stone 10 weight (at 5ft11).

Sigh. YABVU. We are supposed to be slim. As others have pointed out in many other countries you will find a mainly slim population, due to diet and lack of processed food.

There is a huge obesity problem in the UK. Overweight has become the norm rather then the rule.

Based on your op I assume you are not slim. So are you fat and jolly?

I'm 35 and a size 6-8, I have been the same weight since I was a teenager except for being 2 stone heavier during each pregnancy. I walk everywhere, eat a normal diet with some junk but not loads and would actually like to gain a bit of weight but I don't think that will happen until I stop breastfeeding.

Or perhaps they have the right appetite and it's the people who struggle with their weight who are, in fact, eating too much? Eating patterns have changed massively since I was young. I eat the same sort of food I always did and am now regarded by some people as frugal, but I'm not, I just don't eat cake or biscuits. One point raised above is possibly relevant - I don't drink, never have.

I'm fat and pregnant .

But I have been referred to as skinny in the past (& people worrying about my health). Period A was when I was spinning out of uni and period B was when I had hyperemis with DD1 - I don't especially aspire to return to either state!

Yes I like to think I am one of them! 5' 10" weigh 72kg. Eat like a horse!

Inthedarkaboutfashion Thu 04-Dec-14 13:59:22
I suspect most of it is just being shat out unutilised.

Or they just don't overeat and don't sit on their arses all day long.

Well, if someone puts on weight if they eat more / does less, then you're probably spot on.
But we all know people who can eat literally anything and just stay skinny because of their self-diagnosed 'high metabolism'.
I reckon most of those have nothing of the sort, but send most of the calories straight through to the Armitage Shanks.

I was skinny for most of my life until I turned fifty. I could eat anything and everything and not put on an ounce. fwiw, I was only 5lbs when born, so was quite small anyway. I think the weight piled on due to the hormonal changes at menopause. But I was the envy of all my friends in my 20s, 30s and 40s; size 8 and stuffed myself with fish and chips, crumpets, cakes and loads of butter and cream. I was quite sporty though.
Alas I'm now 70 and size 20. But I eat like a pig so it's my own fault!

The problem with being female and slim is other women judge you for it and whisper 'eating disorder' behind your back. It's a bit to say the least.

I'm a size 8, and have been since my teens. I'm fit, healthy and eat normally. I am also very active, and I think that's the clue. My whole family are hyper active. It's not something we force, it's genetic. My parents (in their 70s) still go mountain walking every week, and play tennis 3 plus times a week. I run to relax, and walk everywhere, again to relax. My dsis has always played competitive sports.

If you are sedentary you will be flabby, regardless of how much or little you eat, as once you are out of your teens muscle converts to fat unless it is used regularly, so health isn't necessarily indicated by clothes size.

I'm naturally a size 10-12 after two children. I can eat whatever I like and only do moderate exercise. However, I don't choose to eat a lot of crap.

My size 16 flatmate copied my diet/ portion sizes for a few weeks once to lose weight. She was mortified to put on a stone My weight didn't shift in that time. I think I just have a fast metabolism.

I haven't yet hot menopause. If I put on when when I do, well, them's the breaks. I can't see myself suddenly doubling my appetite though, as I said, it has decreased a bit in recent years, as my activity levels have changed (less time for gym etc).

HIT menopause. Not hot. Although I understand it might be hot!

Btw, I'm very tall and have good hips. Clothes size don't really give an indication of health.

I agree with the above references to naturally skinny people being highly strung.

My dearly departed 90 year old Gran was from a long line of snakehipped Amazons and she insisted it was all down to our high metabolism.

Interestingly, I was 8 stone, nine five, svelte and lithe right up until I had my first baby. (I've always been pig ugly from the neck up though, before anyone thinks jammy bugger).
I was 38 and 40 when I gave birth (sounds like a two year labour !) and I'm convinced my later age just sabotaged my metabolism. I realise you have to factor in hormone changes, sleep deprivation, diet changes and new mother stress too, but I'm convinced it's all down to metabolism.

I'm now a comfortable frumpy bumpy Mum and nothing seems to shift the weight.

I think that 'naturally' slender people probably do eat what they like - they just don't feel the urge to eat more than they use in energy on a daily basis. My DS will leave part of many meals because he's 'had enough'. He'll have a biscuit and then move on. My DD on the other hand is like me in that she will think about the biscuits in the cupboard until she's eaten them all. If I asked them, she would say that she watches what she eats all the time, whereas her brother never gives it a thought. However, he's the skinny one. It's all in the mind. I wish I had his mindset, but I don't know where it comes from.

I haven't read the whole thread because I find threads like this really rude and insulting.

I'm 44 in February and weigh 7stone 8lbs. I'm 5ft4. I don't have an eating disorder, I just don't eat ridiculous amounts of food, I don't snack, I don't eat chocolate and I don't drink any alcohol. The heaviest I have been was 9 stone 4 and that was the day I gave birth to DS1.

I've always been slim. I have a very small frame, my wrists aand ankles are tiny as are my fingers. Some people are just like that.

None of the slender people I know have an eating disorder.

Hmm, I'd say YABU but it may just be that weight gain hasn't got me yet!

I'm 28, life long size 8 and don't massively watch what I eat. I dropped my baby weight very quickly and only have a slightly softer feeling tummy now but it still looks taunt if not a little stretch marky I've not had any eating issues or digestive disorders and I have other slim friends who are similar.

I will however update you on the situation in 5 years time! I may just have been lucky up to now!

Often what people deem "excessive exercise" isn't excessive at all. We have just become used to very sedentary lifestyles, so anything more than a couple of zumba classes a week is seen as OTT.

I don't have a car so cycle and walk everywhere, plus running and swimming a few times a week and cycle for fun at the weekend.

I don't think this is excessive, just how we are supposed to be.

We women really can't win. If we weigh ten stone we're overweight. If we weigh eight stone we're now apparently ill . I'm 5ft 6 and a little over 8st, don't exercise at all much and eat crap whatever I like.
I just don't put on weight. Its very clearly genetic, as half my family are the same. Nothing

YABVVVVU

I was extremely slim up until I had DD at post 40 & was very healthy & I could eat like a horse - I got sick & tired of the jibes & presumptions around my weight & my needing to eat more.

I don't think many would meet an overweight person for the first time & come out with the likes of "oh my, look at you, you need to eat less pies/cake" yet it's open season if you are naturally slim

I'm now heavier, more rounded at the edges, though not overweight but I'm no longer healthy

Some people are just naturally built like greyhounds

My entire family are skinny, even though most of us eat a heap of shite. (I'm the healthiest among us, diet wise, and I still get through at least two snickers a day.)

No eating disorders, no health problems related to eating.

I'm a size 6-8, eat whatever I want. I don't eat that much but I am certainly never hungry. I walk everywhere. I have never had any desire to be skinnier or tried to regulate my weight at all - just exercised to be healthy and toned.

And I live in Korea (I'm not Korean though) and almost everyone here is slim. It's very rare you see someone who is above about a size 14 and most are around a size 6-8, even older women. Men too, all slim but muscular (drools). I dunno if the women are happy about it tbh, there's a lot of pressure here to look a certain way, but the women in my office certainly don't hold back when it comes to food. The men all have to do two years military service and I think that is part of the reason for being so slim and fit.

But people eat ENDLESSLY here - there are food shops everywhere, and not just healthy food, although it is much easier to eat cheap healthy food here than in the UK. But there is also a Dunkin Donuts/Krispy Kreme/McD/Starbucks on every corner, massive amounts of street food...I dunno. People just seem to be able to eat a lot without getting fat here.

YABU

I know several people including my dh and ds2 who were/are very skinny.
Dh is older now and has middle age spread but when we first met people kept telling me to cook him a good meal.
He could eat what he wanted to and not put on an ounce, ds2 is the same, now at 20.
They have no problems or disorders and are both healthyish.

Of course they exist! I'm 5ft 10 and have been a size 10 most of my life due to moderate exercise, eating healthily-ish and genetics. But YABU to suggest skinny is an indication of health (horrible word by the way- I got teased by that at school when I was a size 6/8).

I'm naturally slim, I always have been. I have no issues with food whats so ever. I'm pretty active in my day to day life (choose to walk rather than drive, have a reasonably physical job) which probably helps. Surely that is healthy though, not something i'm doing wrong!

I think I eat an average amount. Yesterday I had toast for breakfast, a sandwich and some cake for lunch and a takeaway for dinner. Plus biscuits and fruit for a snacks.

I think a lot of people have a skewed view of portion size, but I definitely don't starve myself. I have never even dieted.