We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Living in the city of thin people
Replies
-
intrepidelephant wrote: »I live in Toronto, which is a city of very thin women. There are a lot of Chinese girls who are absolutely teeny-tiny. The rest of us aren't far behind. Seriously, walking down super-fashionable Queen West, nobody is over a size 8. I'm 5'6 131 lbs, 25 inch waist, and always feel big boned, even though I know I probably look the same as everyone else. I went to London, UK and the girls were much heavier in general than Toronto girls. Does this happen to anyone else?
So move to London if you seem to think its full of fattys, then you'll look thin in comparrison!0 -
It's like what Redpandora56 is alluding to, it really comes down to perception.
I live in NYC. This is often considered a thin, fashionable place. And yes pockets of the city, especially Manhattan and parts of gentrified Brooklyn, are filled with skinnier, more fashion conscious people. If you are prone to notice them almost exclusively it can be very easy to walk away thinking that "everyone" in NYC is thin or fit, stylish and conventionally attractive.
Which is wrong. There are millions of fat people here, scores of folks who don't dress in the latest looks, lots of people who wouldn't generally qualify as conventionally beautiful, hot or handsome. But still, so many people see what they want to see.0 -
One thing to keep in mind is that you are not looking at a scientific study when you walk down the street. You probably fixate on certain people and don't even register certain other people. You are probably tending to seek out the thin people and not looking at everyone. So what you probably mean is that the people in your competition pool are really thin.0
-
Depends on where you are in the city as well, I suppose. If you're hanging around ouside Harvey Nichols or the Lois Vuitton store, you're more likely to encounter whippet thin women.
0 -
I opened this with the assumption that it was about Los Angeles (backing out of thread).
0 -
Elsie_Brownraisin wrote: »
i LOVE ab fab!0 -
Sheesh people...again, it was just an observation. Not a scientific study, not a personal criticism, just a general observation. It's happened to me lots of times. After living in France for several years, I came back to the U.S. and the first thing I noticed was how many fat people there were. Now I live in a big city in the U.S. Granted there are lots of fat people here, but I've noticed that when I go to rural areas, practically everyone is fat, especially children. General observation, no judgement...certainly not based on scientific studies...0
-
The UK is just a chubby place0
-
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »5'6" and 131 lbs IS thin.
Agreed. You mention wearing size 8. Well I'm 5' 6" and 135 lbs and wear a 4 or 6. So you should be "thinner" than those women in 8's....0 -
Yes, I'm fairly sure that the average woman in England is heavier than the average woman in TO. The average American woman is a size 14 I think; IDK what the average size is exactly in England. The US has some skinny-mini locations, like Seattle, but here in the South where I live, not so much lol.0
-
I'm sorry.intrepidelephant wrote: »I live in Toronto (...)
Say hi to Rob Ford for me though. Dude knows how to party.0 -
He ain't skinny though....0
-
Yes, I'm fairly sure that the average woman in England is heavier than the average woman in TO. The average American woman is a size 14 I think; IDK what the average size is exactly in England. The US has some skinny-mini locations, like Seattle, but here in the South where I live, not so much lol.
The average size for a woman in the uk is a 16 apparently. so a US 12?0 -
0somuchbetter0 wrote: »Sheesh people...again, it was just an observation. Not a scientific study, not a personal criticism, just a general observation. It's happened to me lots of times. After living in France for several years, I came back to the U.S. and the first thing I noticed was how many fat people there were. Now I live in a big city in the U.S. Granted there are lots of fat people here, but I've noticed that when I go to rural areas, practically everyone is fat, especially children. General observation, no judgement...certainly not based on scientific studies...
Yes, we all understand that OP made an observation. But this observation is inaccurate.
When talking about sizes, it is not a matter of taste or preference or anything subjective: geometry, volumes and masses can be measured.
OP's observation is factually wrong.
I lived in T.O. for many years in the last decade (lived on Clarence Square, worked on Bay St., for reference) and there is no way in hell a 5'6 woman with a 25 inches waist would be bigger ("big boned") than the average Torontonian. Even in comparison to the Downtown / Q. West / Yorkville crowd.
No way ... unless she has a "selective" vision and only sees model-like figures. Or alternatively, has a distorted view of her own size.
0 -
I completely get what the OP is alluding to. I moved about 3 years ago to a suburb about 5 miles north of where I used to live, and I definitely notice the difference in body shapes/sizes. It all comes down to socioeconomic and cultural factors.
Where I used to live was quite diverse. Where I live now, it's not as diverse and there are loads of wealthy married couples, where there is a higher proportion of wives who don't have full time jobs. I guess a higher proportion of these women (not the men though!!) are invested in their health and have the opportunity to do something about it. I used to feel that my (bigger) size was not welcomed, although I recognize much of that was in my head. Perhaps that contributed in some small way to my actually shifting the lard? It's a fact that we are affected by the social norms of what we see around us, even if we understand that it's not important.
The comments on China are interesting. I felt like an elephant when I went there on business, but fitted right in in the US! I guess now, I might actually find clothes to fit me in China!0 -
This content has been removed.
-
I spend a month in Hong Kong once. I was a giant and couldn't buy clothing there.0
-
0somuchbetter0 wrote: »Sheesh people...again, it was just an observation. Not a scientific study, not a personal criticism, just a general observation. It's happened to me lots of times. After living in France for several years, I came back to the U.S. and the first thing I noticed was how many fat people there were. Now I live in a big city in the U.S. Granted there are lots of fat people here, but I've noticed that when I go to rural areas, practically everyone is fat, especially children. General observation, no judgement...certainly not based on scientific studies...
I'm not sure the OP was just making an observation, humble bragging or looking for validation that she's one of the thin ones, truly.
But YOUR point I have no problem with. Observing the differences, and even pontificating why they are, isn't an issue for me at all. I still remember moving to NYC for university and coming back to my Maryland suburban neighborhood and being shocked at how fat most people were in comparison to my new normal in Manhattan.0 -
I find it funny when people say that about LA. I'm like, have you ever really been to LA? By and large, they are just as large as people from other areas I've been.40andFindingFitness wrote: »I opened this with the assumption that it was about Los Angeles (backing out of thread).0 -
The_Enginerd wrote: »I find it funny when people say that about LA. I'm like, have you ever really been to LA? By and large, they are just as large as people from other areas I've been.
Denver people are smaller.
0 -
When traveling abroad a general rule is that if there is a white person and they are fat they area almost always either American or German.0
-
Yes, it happens to me when I go to the Asian supermarket. But I know I'm healthy, they just happen to be really teeny. Don't stress about it since you're perfectly normal and you know it.0
-
*scratches head*0
-
Iwishyouwell wrote: »
I'm not sure the OP was just making an observation, humble bragging or looking for validation that she's one of the thin ones, truly.
But YOUR point I have no problem with. Observing the differences, and even pontificating why they are, isn't an issue for me at all. I still remember moving to NYC for university and coming back to my Maryland suburban neighborhood and being shocked at how fat most people were in comparison to my new normal in Manhattan.
Funny...I live in a Maryland suburban neighborhood and before I was working full time I saw a lot of super skinny middle aged moms everywhere, especially around mid-morning at the gym! LOL0 -
I wonder how much longer that will hold. What, with you all getting the munchiesBusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
0 -
5'9", 152, 29 inch waist and totally considering moving to Toronto just so I can be the giant amazonian in the room. *imagines screams of GODZILLA!!!! every time I walk outside*0
-
Iwishyouwell wrote: »
https://www1.toronto.ca/City Of Toronto/Toronto Public Health/Performance & Standards/Health Surveillance and Epidemiology/Files/pdf/Surveillance Indicators/Overweight and Obesity_2014.pdf
According to the above, as of 2012 32% of adults in Toronto were overweight and 12% obese.
Do they all live in a Fat Ghetto, sequestered away from all the super thin people? I guess London just likes to let their fats roam free?
I lol'd.0 -
Where I live there are really tiny insects called ants. Gosh, I feel so huge and big boned. Does anyone else feel that way?0
-
Maybe she was in Toronto's Chinatown? Don't to go Japan, size 0 is like medium0
-
Toronto is far from thin.maybe you are just seeing THIN. when really it is FAT.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.6K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 260.5K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 444 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4.1K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.3K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.8K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions