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!

Yes! Sorry, I meant larger!!

I’m a 16. I’m fat.

I was a size 16 this time last year and yes I was fat. I looked fat and I felt fat

Two thirds of the population are overweight, I was fat at a 16, most women are. The fact it’s the average doesn’t mean it’s slim.

I mean this gently but who the fuck says that to someone.

My father, mother and sister, school bullies, contemporaries at uni and in work, all my life. Even when I was seven stones. Being surrounded by deeply emotionally abusive family, and generally nasty people in the adult world, totally messed up my relationship with my body and food. At the age of fifty, I'm only just getting to grips with my weight with the aid of WLIs, because without them, I have zero emotional control over my eating. But, still fat, even if I lost another couple of stones. Is it even worth it?

Yes of course, surely you’ve went on this journey for your health and understand the health benefits in reducing your weight?

I suspect the sensitivity is the word fat, if the op said is it overweight, it would be less of an issue.

Well, it’s not exactly slim, is it?
I will admit that I was pleased to find a pair of M&S jeans slightly on the big side - they’ve now gone to a charity shop. M&S sizes are notoriously generous - their size 16 jeggings that I practically live in, do fit me, though.

As someone who for many years, even after 2 babies, was a size 10, I do feel fat at the moment.

It was fat for me, but I think it can depend on your build. If you’re tall, broad and muscular it may not be fat at all. But I think for average women, particularly short ones, it’s probably overweight/obese territory.

Me too - I’m a size 10/12 with a bmi of 25.2 at 5 ft 5, and still nowhere near slim. Was def ‘fat’ at 16.

Also think todays 16s are larger than when I was in my 20s. It’s not fat-shaming to discuss this. In fact, I think the vanity sizing is part of the problem as it encourages people to kid themselves they don’t need to take themselves in hand. I no longer care about the scales, but if my clothes get too tight, it’s time to take a few weeks off free eating and recalibrate my diet again. Which, from what I gather from my MiL and my grandma, is what they did.

People tell fat people they're fat all the time. They seem to worry it may have escaped their notice.

If I wore a size 16 top that would be very fat for me. I am 5ft7 and pear shape - narrow shoulders and small chest - I wear size 12 on top but I have a sturdy bum and legs, and lift weights regularly so am size 16 jeans. If I was slim enough to wear a size 12 jeans I feel I would look emaciated and sickly up top.

my wardrobe has so many different sized clothes in it because I feel my frame is a bit unusual.

Whatever you want for yourself is ok.

Are you calling women size 16 and up fat ? If so think your friend is better off finding other friends.

Well aren’t most people on the thread. 81 percent of posters agree with her, and technically it is overweight for most women.

again I think the issue here is the word fat, it causes offense.

Few women are tall and muscular enough to be a size 16 without being "fat" or overweight.

At 5'2", I'd be significantly overweight in a size 12. At size 10, I'm muscular and curvy. I'm smaller than average, but I'm probably pushing my luck to say "slim" now.

"Average" is not a good barometer of healthy.

Thats not entirely true though. It really does depend on height. I mean to be a slim looking size 16 you would either need to be extremely tall or very muscular. Mostly it would be fat IMO. We have a really warped view of a normal weight now and people really believe people of a normal weight are too thin/ill etc as we are so used to people being fat.

I am 5ft 4 and look chubby at a size 12, definitely very overweight when a size 14. I am over a BMI of 25 at a size 12 also. My friend who is 5ft 10 looks tiny at a size 12, I didnt believe she was that size till I saw her labels. Her BMI is really low. My BMI is now 21 and I'm a size 8. You could easily be a BMI of 21, tall and a size 12.

Whaaaat? Why on EARTH would you be significantly overweight at 5 ft 2 and a size 12?!

Even more bizarre when you say that at just ONE dress size smaller you are muscular and curvy! 😆

I'm not sure what is wrong with that though. Most people size 16 and up would call themselves fat because generally its true. I am on the weightloss boards and no one fannies around on there, we all knew we were fat to start with, we were/are all shapes and sizes and different levels of fat.

My sons GF is losing weight currently, she is 5ft7 and a size 16. She has lost 2 stone and has 3 more to go to get within a healthy BMI. I would be obese at a size 16 at 5ft 4.

As a short person, I’d be fat at a size 12, let alone a size 16 unfortunately.

I was (for a very short time) obese, after gaining weight from being slim. I was still mostly able to fit into my normal clothes (size 8 etc) even though my BMI was 32, up from BMI 20. For me to have been a proper size 16 on measurements, it would be morbid obesity.

When I’m my normal weight at BMI 20, I’m a size 4/6, simply because of my height. It’s not that I’m significantly skinny, it’s just the excess material, length etc of garments that are designed to fit taller people which allows me to wear smaller size clothes at a larger weight. It’s for the same reason, that I need smaller sizes at a low weight, because the length/proportions etc are off.

So yeah, size 16 on me would indicate significant excess fat.

I am 5ft4, I was a 12-14 and BMI of 28, that is quite a lot overweight. At 5ft 2 size 12 is likely to be overweight. My mum at 5ft is overweight at the bigger end of a size 10. She is just within a BMI of 25 now and a standard size 10. Height and build matters so much. I am a small build so I look fat quite easily.

This thread’s completely bonkers. Dress sizes aren’t standard. I’m still the same person with the same dimensions whether I’m wearing a modern vanity size 10 or a vintage neat 16.

This At 5'2", I'd be significantly overweight in a size 12 is utter and complete madness.

I have lost 3 stone recently and one thing I have noticed is that the 12/14s I was wearing when overweight are not just too baggy, the sleeves and length are now way too big so I can't even wear them as oversized.

Unless you're very tall or have a lot of muscle mass, if you're a size 16 you are likely to be overweight or obese. I was a size 16 and I had a BMI of 31, am 5'6". I felt and looked fat, unfortunately.

I dont understand what you dont believe. My mum was put on weightloss injections as her BMI was over 30 and she was getting to be diabetic after cancer treatment. She has only every worn size 10s with the occasional small 12 at that weight, but at 5ft it is fat. At a standard/big 12 she would have been really large.

It couldn’t be clearer. Try reading what I wrote again. Especially this bit Dress sizes aren’t standard.