Settle a debate with DH on skeletons and body size!

[whydoesitalwaysrainonme82]

DH said everyones skeleton is pretty much the same size. I said but everyone has different frames. It started because I was saying that even when I am at my slimmest my waist doesnt get smaller than 30inches, my body frame isnt that small, I am also quite wide on the shoulders, think swimmer type frame. DH said its to do with muscle mass not bone size and if you had 3 men skeletons in a row of same height , they wouldnt really differ from each other even if in real life they were all different frames.

Thoughts? I know this is probably something I should know by now so dont flame me down!!

Weirdly, my wrists and fingers are tiny, but even when I was a size 8 I always weighed quite a lot. Not sure what that says about my strange body.

I'm similar but I am 5ft 9.

When DH went to get my engagement ring he said he needed size I, the jeweller asked my height & background & when told said its most likely DH had made a mistake so they went bigger. Apparently size I fingers are pretty rare unless petite & or oriental background. 🤷‍♀️

@cardibach

Well, I have a friend who is almost the same height as me. She’s 5’8” and I’m 5’9”. My feet are a size 10 (they were an 8 when I was young and thin, so I accept my weight, plus child bearing, have altered my size). Her feet are size 5. The size differences are repeated in eg finger length, shoulder breadth. We definitely don’t have the same size skeleton.

Yes, this is what I'm trying to say. 👌

There is no logic to the idea that skeletons can vary in one dimension (height), but not others (width), and that various combinations of height and width exist.

He has even partly acknowledged this variation by saying “if you had x skeletons the same height” but not followed through on all the logical conclusions of this.

He’s either daft, or reaching to justify some body facism
he harbours...

I have a fairly small frame but have a very short torso. You can squeeze a thumb width between the top of my hips and the bottom of my ribs.

This means my waist never goes smaller than 26inches and that was when I was painfully thin and weighed just under 7 stone (I'm 5'2). When I was pregnant I looked huge from about 18 weeks.

But I have small shoulders and wrists. As my underbust/ braback measurement is the same as my waist. Currently 32-34 because I'm pretty chubby at the moment. At a healthy weight (size 8-10 around 9stone) I have a 28 back.

Lots of variance in skeletons that impact shape. But yes as PP have said weight and muscle mass also make a big difference.

You're correct but wrong about the waist. There's no bones there, you could certainly get a smaller waist with diet and exercise.

Feet is another good example. I'm the same height as my mum. But I'm a size 3.5 and she's a size 6.

My size 9 feet and spade-like hands say differently...

@Patsypie torso length has an impact. Some people have several inches between their ribs and hips, others do not. Diet and exercise are the main drivers but it's easier to get a smaller waist measurement with a long torso as there is more space without bones.

I've lost six stone, and my wrists haven't even changed by a fraction of an inch (though my ring size is now four sizes smaller).

Plus my hands look in proportion to my body - but I absolutely dwarf most lady hands, and can fold the top joint over my husband's finger ends when we're palm to palm.

I'm big framed, and big muscled. It actually helped me stay in denial about my weight for a long time because I flat out do not look like a fine boned person of the same weight, even at the same height.

I've got a very warrior-esque body and I love it - and now I'm older and wiser I don't take for granted what it needs.

Bibijayne- we're built on very similar lines!
I have an incredibly short torso- just 11inches nape to waist- I have t-shirts I outgrew as an adult (breasts increased after childbirth) that my DD outgrew lengthwise at 12, and DS at 11.

@thecatsthecats

I've lost six stone, and my wrists haven't even changed by a fraction of an inch (though my ring size is now four sizes smaller).

Plus my hands look in proportion to my body - but I absolutely dwarf most lady hands, and can fold the top joint over my husband's finger ends when we're palm to palm.

I'm big framed, and big muscled. It actually helped me stay in denial about my weight for a long time because I flat out do not look like a fine boned person of the same weight, even at the same height.

I've got a very warrior-esque body and I love it - and now I'm older and wiser I don't take for granted what it needs.

The first thing my dh said when we first met was "omg, look at the size of your hands!!" I've got very long fingers. At work I need the large size! My feet are size 8 too.

This was the hardest part of losing most of my weight due to anorexia. I realised that my pelvis is wide not ‘me’. I’d have to grind them off to disappear.

@haba - yes! I think I have a normal height person's legs and a really short person's torso. If it weren't for the boobs I'd have been able to wear kids t-shirts up until I had a baby.

Everyone's skeleton is different. So your husband is wrong.

But... 'big boned' as I sometimes hear?? No. That is just a big fat myth to hide behind (pim intended) because if we'd all stopped eating for a vast amount of time (we would be skin and bone) we would all look quite similar, skeletal wise. But some with broader or narrower shoulders and same goes for hips/pelvic area etc.

But why on earth would we do that haha. Bring on more crisps. No actually no. Keep them away from me. I managed to gain 3 kilos in 2 weeks.

@tubbatops my engagement ring is also a size I, it fits me fine, and I’m a size 22 in clothes 😬 god knows what they’d make of that!

He's being very weird in his assertion that only height can vary.

My sister and I only diferr in height by a few inches.
At her slimmest she was a size 8, could see bones but didn't look ill. At a size 12 she's padded.
At my slimmest, size 12, I have clear hip bones, collar bones etc. I would look ill if I tried to get to a size 8, and my hips wouldn't manage it. At our slimmest we wore different size bracelets and anklets.

My friend and I are identical in height but her fingers are so much longer than mine

But... 'big boned' as I sometimes hear?? No. That is just a big fat myth to hide behind.. we would all look quite similar But some with broader or narrower shoulders and same goes for hips/pelvic area etc.
Surely that's what big boned is referring to though, that the overall skeleton is wider because of the bone set. An even at slim, I have early larger ankles and wrists than my sister, even though we're nearly the same height.

@Patsypie

You're correct but wrong about the waist. There's no bones there, you could certainly get a smaller waist with diet and exercise.

But surely the size of the ribcage and hips will impact on how small you can get your waist without resorting to corsets etc.

I'd be a bit worried if my skeleton and my 6'0 boyfriends skeleton, or his 6'7 best mates skeleton were all a similar size.

Are they both just wiggling around with extra skin and muscle at the end of their extremities? They must have very good balance to have a whole foot and 3 inches of body with no extra skeleton

I used to be an anorexic and even when hospitalised my ribs never measured less than 30 inches. Since there are grown adult females who wear 28-something bras I know that skeletons vary in size. You get a pretty good idea of the variations in skeletons in an anorexia unit. Even in faces. Big boned is an actual thing.

@fenella 🤣🤣

He resized mine down for free

Fascinating thread

According to wrist size I am small frame (6 inch wrist, height 5'8.5") which I'm a little surprised at as would have classes myself as medium frame as I don't have particularly narrow hips or shoulders. You learn something new every day!

You're right, OP, as anyone who's watched Silent Witness will know!

There's been many an episode where they determine someone's build from an incomplete skeleton.

I've got hands like shovels just like my DF. I definitely am 'bigger boned' It's genetic like most things to do with the body. DH's feet are so narrow it's a wonder he doesn't topple over.