Am I fat?

[ragged]

You can see my ribs, I still have a distinct waist, BMI around 21-22.
yet my thighs, legs and bum have recently blossomed, they look huge!
I get regular exercise, but sure I could get more.
I just turned 48, is the expanding lower half a getting older change?

You can't be fat with that bmi. Your body shape does change as you get older I think. I know mine has! Your metabolism etc all slows down and weight collects in different areas.

It could be a getting older change. I came out of the menopause only 2lbs heavier but with a completely different body shape.

Could I be changing from hourglass to Pear? How do pears dress, anyway? (eek)

I really don't want to turn into an apple shape.

It is more common for midsection (in particular visceral) body fat to increase at midlife.
Subcutaneous fat in the hips and thighs is much less detrimental to health, if you have any spare body fat that's the best place to have it.

I doubt that you have much in the way of spare body fat with your BMI ??:)

You could be - I went from pear to houglass. Maybe we should do a clothes swop

If your hips and bum are the parts getting bigger then your certainly not changing into an apple shape.

I'm a apple.

Your bmi is far from fat!

Sorry cross post - I meant I'm sure you can turn from hourglass to pear as I went the other way!

There's lots of advice for pears on the internet but the main thing is you wear stuff that draw the eye up and away from hips and thighs. And flares and A lines will be your friends.

With the greatest respect, op. You're 48 not 18. You post that you can see your ribs, and your BMI is 22-21. That description in no way matches up with being fat, in any stretch of the imagination.

I glad you all think so, Ilive :).
I might still have to get used to enhanced size bottom, though.
Oh well, I'm told some find that attractive, too.