Do you think a women's size 16 is fat?

[LegencyMonsters]

Met a friend for coffee today and we got onto the topic of weight.

I mentioned that I used to be a size 16 and said I’m glad I’m not that size anymore as I was fat. She disagreed, saying a size 16 isn’t fat and pointed out that it’s actually the average size for women in the UK. I replied that while it may be the average, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not fat.

Would you consider a size 16 to be fat or not?

AIBU - YES - of course!
YANBU - NO - Not fat at all!

It depends on size and body composition. I’m a 14/16, 5ft 7, and pear shaped with a defined waist — it looks nice on me.

My opinion is stop concentrating on the size of women’s bodies. Surely
your health, strength and personality and integrity is a far more interesting thing to concentrate on.

I think overweight is a more useful term than fat really.

Is it obese, or overweight, or low BMI but flabby and lacking muscle tone/skinny fat? I mean I know a short, slight person who has a high BMI but takes a size 8. Is she fat? Or not, because she isn't in a 16? Also lots of people - women especially - have a very "fat" bum but can look quite gaunt above. Fat is just an odd, subjective word.

I know people who are probably overweight but I don't have the word "fat" pop up in my brain.

This thread is so depressing for me, I knew I shouldn't have read it. :( I'm 5' 3" tall, just under 12 stones in weight (I've lost three stones this year), yet I'm still wearing size 20 - 22 clothes. I've no idea when I'll get to a size 16, but I was originally thinking it would be great, it's rather depressing to think that I'll still be considered a fatty.

I also weight train, can lift over 100kg, but no one would describe me as muscular in appearance because I'm not bodybuilding.

BTW, BMI was originally made up by a statistician to measure the sizes of a very specific, male, northern European population, so it's an extremely blunt tool.

Funny how different bodies are. I'm 170cm and a small 16 / large 14 and my BMI is 28.

I carry weight extremely well though and have always been heavy. As a lean size 8 I was 10 and a half stone.

I'm a size 14 and have been since I was 14 even though I have put on weight. Sizes have expanded. Size 16 is probably overweight and would have been a size 18 or 20 back in the day. TBH you probably wouldn't have been able to buy that size on the high street. Just look at videos of the 60s.

Sorry but no way. I was a skinny model 5'11" and was size 8 weight around 10.5 stone. No 5'11" or taller person is a skinny model at size 16. I got to size 14 at menopause and I was definitely fat

You've already defined it.

Overweight.

Yes, some people are like this.

I’m currently size 16 and feel fat. Been 12 most of my life and a combo of menopause and lockdown hit at the same time. Now a 16 and desperately trying to lose weight. Can confirm I look and feel fat. It’s not fun.

Well, I'm sorry but she wasn't fat. You may have a different frame.

Or you may have different ideas of what looks "fat".

You’re right. When I was young sizes 6 and 8 didn’t exist. Twiggy was a size 10. Vanity sizing is rife now to the point where labels are meaningless.

I think 99 percent of the time a size 16 at any height is over weight. I’m 5ft 9 and a size 12 and a bit over weight I can’t imagine being two sizes bigger and this not being to do with being fat or pregnant

I'm size 8-10 and not a healthy BMI at 26, if you go b6 this. I was definitely obese at size 16 but as previously mentioned there's more to it than height Vs weight

Silly question. Size 16 in some brands is tiny and in other brands is huge. Size 16 on someone tall can absolutely be within the healthy weight range and could be obese for someone short.

Average height in the UK is super short, think around 5 ft 3 so yeah even a 14 would be overweight at that height! I’m 5 ft 7 and at
my absolute heaviest after DC I was 17 stone and a size 20. Someone 4 inches shorter at the same weight would likely be morbidly obese so height changes a lot but also shape.

I’m an hourglass so I carry weight evenly everywhere whereas a pear tends to carry it all on their lower half and apple upper half. My Mum is an apple and when she gets fat she still has stick thin legs so her lower half can be a 12 but upper half 18.

Sizes have also got smaller too though by which I mean a 4 is smaller than a 10 of back in the day.

I used to struggle to get jeans small enough before the 4s and 6s came to the UK, and they were definitely smaller when they came than what had been available till then.

I would say yes

I’m 5’9” I have wide hips and shoulders, at 12 stone which is just into a healthy bmi I am a 16 bottom and a 14 top.

Totally depends on your body type.

This. I'm 5'4" and a size 10. I was edging towards a 14 and decided I had to get the weight off ( I'm 60). At a size 16 I'd feel and look huge and I'd be way out of an acceptable BMI.

Of course it is.

Even at only 5.3, I was not fat at size 16, I used to mountain climb, I was rock solid, I was actually 68 kilos but very toned. I used to spend an hour at the gym daily, lift etc
Couple of years later, I lost weight, stopped exercising, and became 58 kilos and a size 12.
My upper body was smaller but I was much less toned over all. I lost my strong glutes, thighs and calves 😔
I much preferred how I looked at a size 16.

Ooh good a goady bit of fat shaming to make people 16 and over feel bad

I'm 5ft and very narrow framed, a size 16 on me would be very fat. On a taller, broader person it might be in proportion.