Is a size 14 viewed as overweight?

[Ilovemycatalot]

Just reading online that uk size 16 is the average size of a uk woman right now. Im a size 14 and 5ft 3 so always felt overweight anyway but in reality would you view someone as a size 14 overweight? For me anyone who can fit into a size 10 would be considered slim although I know clothes sizes come up different depending on shop. Just curious what dress size people on here buy and if they consider themselves overweight.

@Testina your right just needed a wake up call as I’m often in denial until I see a photo of myself and realise I am that big. Or live in elasticated waists so it’s not as obvious!

It depends on the person.
I'm 5"2 and a size 6 but in no way do I look skinny in fact I look pregnant and bloated most of the time and I'm quite conscious of my belly.

Also it probably depends on age and who you're surrounded by. I'm a size 10 and would say I'm average out of my friends and family! We regularly have clothes swaps as friends and we all sit around an 8 or 10. My sister is an 8. I'm always surprised when I read 16 is the average but I'm only in my 30s so perhaps as I get older things will change.

Also have no boobs so body doesn’t balance out like it does if your curvier.

If you know your BMI why ask?

You're obese

Not just overweight

Clothes size has nothing to do with it!

I wouldn’t necessarily consider a size 14 to be overweight . It depends on height and body type. It also depends on how you like your clothing to fit .

My weight is on the high end of a healthy bmi . I’m a size 10/12. I often buy a size 14 in a jumper though because I like them oversized . Im 5”4.

My sister is much taller than me and has a long torso . She’s also a lot slimmer than me and buys size 12/14.

I would say anywhere between 8-14 could be considered a healthy weight . I also know someone who only ever bought size 10 clothing and squeezed into them ( looked horrible)and was on short/chubby side . So you can also be over weight and wear smaller sizes .

@TyFly blunt but true just never thought of myself as obese I guess

Like others have mentioned, height has a lot to do with it. I'm 4ft 11. At my heaviest I was 10st 4lb and a very large size 12. My bmi was borderline obese.

Yes, I would in general say a 14 is overweight but it is dependent on a number of things tailored to the individual.

im currently wearing a 14 and feel unhealthy - back fat, tummy fat etc etc (mix of pandemic weight gain and peri) - really trying to count calories and do an hours exercise most days

(I see 14 as that slippery slope to 16, 18 etc etc)

Im 5 foot 1 and my dress size is 12-14 and my weight is classed as obese. It's definitely fat for me. My proportions make me look okay but I should really be an 8-10.

Unless your exceptionally tall and muscular, then a size fourteen would be overweight. In generally anyway, obviously sizes can vary stupidly from shop to shop.
‘Average’ isn’t healthy - look around and you’ll see most people are carrying too much weight. The ‘average’ person is too heavy. We’ve definitely lost sight of what is a healthy weight.

Yeah I'm fat at a size 12 unfortunately.

Dress size varies so wildly by shop, and is further meaningless without also knowing the height and build of the person.

I'm taller at 5'10", a size 14, and I am overweight.

Given that I am a fair bit taller than the average British woman, I think we can safely say that size 14 as the average dress size means that the average woman in the UK is overweight/obese.

We need to stop talking in dress sizes.

At 5'3" OP, I would class you as significantly overweight, just like I class myself as overweight.

Ilovemycatalot if you're factually obese and not happy in your skin then obviously do something about it! There are lots of options (look at the big/slim/ whatever weightloss boards on here).

If you were just a bit overweight and happy in your skin it'd be absolutely no problem, but you say you know you're obese and you aren't happy with yourself, so it's worth addressing!

Most don't

I certainly didn't until I qualified for my COVID jabs early due to tipping into the morbidly obese category in 2020!!

(Only just 40.2 BMI)

Some people carry it well, I had to be weighed multiple times before getting my jabs as they didn't believe I was that large, as I was a size 14, and am not that short either at 5ft 6.

Have lost since but it's definitely a wake up call!

Dress size isn’t helpful. But just for comparative purposes, I am a snug size 12 in jeans. I weigh about 12 stone give or take a pound at 5’3 which puts me in the obese category. I definitely feel chubby at the moment and look big in photos.

If I was a size 14 at this height- that would mean +2 inches on all my measurements. I’d look even more dumpy.

My mum is a size 14, but she is 5’7. She still definitely looks curvy wouldn’t ever be described as slim or slender. She is a healthy weight for her height.

If your BMI is over 25, unless you are an elite athlete with an unusually large amount of muscle, you are overweight.

I would consider size 14 overweight…but not obese

So do you want to lose a bit?

I always think this is a good time of year because of autumny foods like stews from the slow cooker with lots of root veg and herbs. And it's not too warm to run in the evenings.🙂

Impossible to say because it depends on your frame/ fat distribution/ height etc.

I'm short and am a size 14 with a BMI of 22. I don't think most people would consider me overweight.

Average does not mean healthy weight. It just means the average person is overweight. I myself am, it’s just a fact.

I wouldn't say a dress size is a good indicator of overweight/obesity no. I've worn a size 14 when I was a healthy BMI and now being overweight - I can still fit in some 14 clothes particularly if it's an item from Next. I wore a size 14 when I was much thinner if I wanted a more roomy fit - I am 5'6 with a larger frame (hips, feet, hands) - or if from a shop that run smaller. There is just too much variation in shop sizes - that's why if I'm buying online I definitely check the actual measurements.
Your weight to height, waist size is a better indicator, health-wise.

Yea it’s overweight. Not the end of the world, or any reason to beat yourself up, but it just is 🤷🏼‍♀️
I’m 5’8(ish) and a size 12, sometimes 14 up top, and I’m overweight. Not massive but squishy.

I’m 5’ 3 and a size 14. I’m certainly overweight. My BMI is in the overweight category.

I don’t think I look too awful in clothes but I definitely have rolls of fat and a wobbly bum and belly.