To think 8 stone at 5'4 isn't that slim

[Hadbetterdays]

I am that weight and height and I often get people telling me how skinny I look and that I need to gain weight.

No I don't deny you drop beneath a certain point, your periods will stop but she seemed to know what that point was

There's an underlying assumption that thin is better - even from those complaining about this thread, with phrases like 'competitive thinness' and saying the OP wanted to be praised. Even though the OP said people are telling her she's too thin, thus being critical. I suspect the OP is long gone, but if you hear the same critical thing from lots of people, one can start to believe it and want a double check. That does not necessarily equate to feeling great about being thin and wanting the internet to praise you.

And the reason the weights provided are thin is the OP asked about too thin - I noted what I was when I was closest to the OP's weight, not what I am now, which is much heavier, nor what I was a year ago, which was 5 stone heavier than that. I lost all 5 stone during a few months due to illness - and of all the people who spoke to me about it (lots), only one approached me with concern. And a fair number of those to whom I explained I was ill replied with "But you look so much healthier now". No, I looked thinner, I was considerably less healthy. It's so ingrained in our culture that even faced with an ill person someone will insist thin=healthy.

Because she has experienced it. If I'd had my periods stop and been told by a consultant that it might be my weight, I'd remember what weight they'd stopped at for the rest of my life.

Thanks Tara . That is basically it, yes. Since I started taking notice of my weight (early teens I guess) I have never been less than 8 stone, and yes, that was roughly my weight when I was seeing the consultants (probably a few pounds here or there). At some point between 8st and 9st my periods returned - I don't know what that exact point was or I certainly can't remember it now.

I have no idea why it happened to me and I am very surprised that what is basically just a personal anecdote has caused some people to get so riled up. I mean there are women who are starving in other countries and still have babies, so clearly weight and loss of periods don't always correlate. Maybe it was something else that caused mine to go but the doctors couldn't find anything so that is what they put it down to.