How do you define a normal size person?

[joelallie]

Hi,

just wondering what you think of as normal sizet. But read the papers and a size 12 is seen as large - i remember the actress playing Bridget Jones (can't remember her name) saying that she had to go up to a size 12 for the role. And now people are buying size 4 clothes - US size 0! Now that seems incredibly thin to me... So many 'posh' shops don't seem to offer anything over a size 12.

I'm 5'11 and a large size 12. Smallest I've been for years. Just stopped dieting and am very nervous of putting it all back on. So this is a big deal for me. Sometimes get the feeling that the more obese people there are about, the more desirable unbeleivably skinny becomes. What is a normal size?

I'm 5'9" and a size 14. I weigh 12 stone and could do with losing at least half a stone (off my arse ).

I've got fairly broad shoulders and wide hips and just look weirdly bony if I lose too much weight. Otoh my arms are always a bit chunky even if the rest of me is slim.

This article in the Observer on Sunday is quite thought-provoking, esp about how even 80s supermodels look a bit podgy compared with today's slebs.

Carolina, that article is v interesting and v v scary

I had to measure my waist recently (dh was buying me some jeans abroad) and I read that there is new research that shows the Waist to Hip ratio (so Waist/Hip measurement) is a better indicator of your heart health (here's the Bupa article , can't find the nhs one but that was the one I originally read).

I am 5'6'', a size 12 (comfortably), weigh about 58kg but on the waist to hip ratio, I am a high risk danger but my BMI is in the normal range.

here's a waist,hip calculator thing

Definitely an interesting article.

5'4" is average height for women although they are saying that in another generation it will go up.

(they calculate the averages every generation or so based on across the country data and across all age groups.)

It does vary depending on health inequalities too, where I work (deprived 'sink' estate) I'd say the average height for women is only 5'2" as at 5'6" I am taller than nealry every woman I see!

riab - as I said in the original post I am 5'11 so well above average. But when I was growing up I was definitely a freak - I was always the tallest in my class even in primary when I went to a mixed sex school. When I was in my teens I think that there were only 2 girls in my school that were anywhere near as tall as me. What amazes me is that at kicking out time at one of the secondary schools here there are several girls who are easily as tall as I am now. And me DS#1 and DD who tall for their ages are not the tallest in their classes by any means.