but what ^is^ size 0?

[moretomorrow]

following on from that telly program tonight and other things in 'chat'

i don't really know what is a size 0. i find some shops have 'big' size 8's, for example.

and in less than 10 years, bigger fits have smaller size numbers.

is it just my imagination?

the poster who used the picture linked below only posted for 1 day (at least with that name they did)

Perhaps she was a namechanger? The link I used is a known photo link for pro ana so she could have been anyone really. Hope she is ok though, wasnt she posting something about size 0 I can vaguely remember the thread?

Easy way to remember how small size 0 and 00 are is-
0=Average 8yr old little girls waist
00=Average 6yr old little girls waist
My bones aren't ever gonna allow me to be this size even if I ever wanted to starve(not talking about naturally thin just diet thin)

The thing is, singingmum, I am an average 12 year old girl's height, but it doesn't make me unhealthy

You can be a healthy weight for your height with a 23" waist or a 30" waist. You can be a 'healthy' weight for your height by eating healthily or unhealthily. I don't think the weight/size counts so much as whether your basic diet is appropriate for you.

The point is that they were on this programme talking about the people who are not natural size 0 or 00 but those that force themselves to be those sizes without a thought for their health and saftey.The second woman almost became anorexic/bullimic(prob spelt wrong am tired)through doing this.

I agree NineUT.I am 5'3 and overweight so I get the whole judged by size not by wether or not I exercise or eat healthily(I do both as much as poss)
We are not talking in this instance about those nat thin we are talking about those putting themselves in danger

pro ana/mia pictures and sites aren't al thathard to get hold of. She was looking for size 4 Hillls

i do have small bones (somewhere!) so size 0 is achievable for me.

I think the whole programme sounds irresponsible because it is known that starvation diets can set up longer term problems.

Louise REdknapp is currently on an Irish radio show and I missed some of it but she says it only took her 2 weeks to regain the weight she lost and all she did was eat "normally" - the odd sandwich or "normal" sized dinner - she says she is not a big eater anyway.

So if the numbering has changed so much and it's true that size 0 nowadays is the equivalent of the size 8 I used to wear back in the old days, I don't think it's extreme. I was slim but I was never skinny

easier to put on than it is to lose

peoples body shapes have changed since the fifties or whatever as well

Hmmm wasn't around in the fifties!

So if an 8 then is a 0 now that what is a 22 (which is waht I am!!!!!!) - HELP!

so I have just dug out an old pattern that I used to make a school tennis dress in the 70's and the sizes in inches are as follows:

8 = 31.5/24/33.5

10 = 32.5/25/34.5

12 = 34/26.5/36

14 = 36/28/38

16 = 38/30/40

I was a 12 in those days BTW

a 24 inch waist is a 6 now

I think the sizes have changed a LOT

clothes manufacturers don't assume a 10 inch difference between hip and waist now - we are all storing much more fat around our middles