Do the people on here lie about their size?

[qualitychat]

Anytime I am in AIBU everyone seems to be a size 12 and under. They exercise, don't drink and eat a very healthy diet. I have been looking at the Style & Beauty section. The vast majority of posters are plus size. Am I missing something?

That's weird. I have literally never seen anyone mention size 12 or any other specific size on AIBU. Perhaps it's just chance. I'm not glued to MN so I might have missed those threads. I've never been on any other board either. As to your question "do they lie?", of course they do. Some people come on MN specifically to do that. It's their fantasy haven where they they can be, do, say what they like. It's completely incognito, unlike other social media where you can be searched for. As long as you always remember that what you're reading might not be true, and take everything with a pinch of salt, it's fine. Not everyone is lying, not everyone is telling the truth.

also: live “rurally” with 6’ sons and stunning daughters.

A few people may really genuinely be deluded. I have a size 20 relative (I know the size because I buy her clothes as gifts) who straightfaced tells you she's not overweight and that she's really muscular from her one exercise class per week. She also goes onto rants about BMI being a colonialist irrelevant sick to beat women with (she's white average height Anglo, so definitely within the group where BMI is applicable...) I assume there must be some cognitive dissonance given that she brings all of these topics up in conversation. I'm a slightly tubby, sporty size 14 who could do with a bit less cake and a slightly healthier BMI, but am otherwise nothing remarkable.

I see no reason to lie, depending on the shop I'm anything from size 8 to14 (but mostly 10 or 12), I exercise regularly (swimming and walking mainly), I don't drink alcohol very often, and my diet is pretty atrocious. I don't think any of these facts make me a better or worse human though. 😬

Just started posting on S&B with full length pics so it would be very difficult to lie.... and I don't Edit my body despite being accused in the past (not on here and maybe a few edits in the face 🤣)

Im a size 6-8, I'd like to think I'm slim but curvy in the right places - 32DD although I paid a fortune for those! I'm in my late thirties now and have been everywhere from a size 4 to a 14 due to incredibly disordered eating - now resolved thankfully but I do watch what I eat to a certain degree (though drink far too much wine) and I do work out

I'm 5' 5" exactly and this morning I weighed 14st 6lbs. I wear size 16 clothes and my bra size is 34G. It's not all muscle either, as much as I would like it to be! I have physical limitations due to chronic health conditions so I can't really exercise.

At my heaviest, I weighed 18st 5lbs and wore a size 20/22.

At my lightest, I weighed 12st and wore a size 12, though I was told in no uncertain terms by someone on here that I must be lying. I still have my size 12 skinny jeans and they seem so small when I hold them up now, but I have fond memories of wearing them around Paris in 2017

I suppose it's always in the context of them insisting that BMI guidelines are flawed and their evidence is "I don't feel fat so I can't be overweight" statements, "and therefore BMI guidelines can't indicate if someone is overweight". They may decide that they are comfy in own skin regardless of BMI, but that doesn't mean BMI guideline is therefore a completely useless guideline.

I wonder where this idea that BMI is inherently flawed has come from, it is adjusted for ethnicity, for sex, for age (children's is different) and has a range over a couple of stone in some cases

Of course extreme outliers like professional athletes and body builders are not going to register accurately as such, it wasnt really designed for them but for the bog standard member of the public its an effective and accurate tool surely?

Sizing is completely misleading

At my heaviest I was just a smidge over 20 stone. Im now 14 stone 5 with a long way to go obviously

At my heaviest I was in 24s, 26s and the odd 28. I would say on average I was a 26 really but was all about the stretch clothes so who knows. And quite frankly I think that was vanity sizing as the shops are so wont to do.

Right now I seem to be fitting into 18s. Some recent trousers I have bought I probably could have bought the 16s and wish I had really as I need to future proof against future weight loss so am kicking myself

However I am not in any way a size 16!! I dont look a 16, I probably look a size 20. Shop sizings are all over the place. Plus my legs are more like a 22 and my waist seems to be the 18. My arms are probably about a size 26 still, they are horrendous.

Im still wearing some tops which are a 24, others just look ridiculous so they have had to go. I have a new jacket in an 18, as long as I dont move my arms around too much its ok!!!

My aim is to get within the normal healthy range for my height which is about 10 7. I could get away with being 11 7 but I think that is the top for my height. I have no idea what size I would be then, Im full of flab and skin so probably will be holding it all in with a size 14 or something.

I've never seen it adjusted for any of those things and I can assure you that the children's one is a load of old bollocks. DS' BMI at beginning of Year 6 when they did the formal measurements came back as he was significantly too high. I was shocked - because in fact, he had been quite overweight and we'd all spent a lot of time and effort and he was looking great.

So I went and had a look at the calculator myself. DS is on the 91st percentile for height. When I put his height and weight into the calculator with his actual age of 10, it said his BMI was too high. When I shifted his date of birth, but left height and weight the same, it said he was perfect.

Then in small print, I saw that they openly admit that the results are faulty for children who are extra tall or extra short. But in the meantime, I'd received the dreaded, "your child is overweight, you are a terrible parent" letter.

As for adults, there are lots of variables that aren't taken into account. I have very thin, very light bones. The truth is that whatever my BMI is, in reality, I'm actually WAY fatter because the vast bulk of my weight is coming from fat, not my frame. DH is the exact opposite - his BMI shows up as being not great, even though when he is measured on those fat machine things, he has something ridiculous like just 7% body fat!

Well people obviously lie about all sorts of things on the internet but I think ultimately it stems from insecurity to always assume someone is lying about their size if they are on the thinner end.

A 10 year old is meant to be lighter than an older child of the same height. An older child is approaching puberty. That's why it asks for age as a healthy bmi varies by age.

@EmeraldFox but that varies too surely? I started my periods at 9

That's why there is such a wide range of normal bmi. It does vary by age though, peaking at 6 months, lowest at about 5-6 then rising again until adulthood, you can't ignore age.

I’m a size 10. Weight 9st 11lbs. Bmi 21.5. Had kids, look slim and ok in clothes but a bit wobbly round the middle and a bit of a muffin top. Diet is OKish, probably drink too much. Trying to exercise to tone up a bit but probably futile given the wine and crisps 😂
Don’t see why anyone would lie to strangers on the internet. What’s to gain?

Op's not been back for a while.

Why would a poster say the are size 10 on one topic and the size 16 on another?

Posters lie to troll, get attention or whatever, which may or may not include lying about their size. Not sure what there is to gain though.

Yeah, I once mentioned my body size and was called a liar. I can't fathom why. I don't have an amazing body or anything, I'm just skinny and tall, why would Iie? 😂

If I wanted to impress strangers on the internet I'd say I'm an hourglass with massive boobs lol

Nope. I'm quite open about being big. Seems an odd thing to lie about really.

@SheIIy agreed! I am a size ten and slim by most people standards. But I have a wobbly mum belly, boobs have seen better days, and a muffin top. I am hardly a Victoria’s Secret angel (unfortunately! 😁).

I guess it's a compliment eh😅

I don’t understand this, a size 10 is a size 10 no matter the height. I get if you’d said 11 stone is different at 5ft 2 and 5ft 10….

Taller people tend to also have bigger frames, on average. So with the same percentage of body fat and muscle tissue they would be a bigger size just to fit their frame. Rare to see a 6ft size 6 woman but plenty at 5ft.

I don't lie about my size. I'm 26 and a hungry Horace ill hold my hands up. I have no intentions of dieting. My health isn't suffering and nor do I get breathless and I'm never without male attention.

So do I have great skin. Since when did you need to be a size 8 to have great skin.