What do you think the size of a healthy woman would be?

benefiting

I just read an article about how a woman who is a size 14 (Australian) is classed as a plus size model. I would assume that healthy woman would infact be around size 12-14 (size 10-12 for US) and yet this woman is being called plus size?!

I know that you shouldn't go off dress size at the end of the day but I'm curious as the article was directed towards models rather than real life situtions where weight, height, BMI, etc would be more effective to answer what is healthy.

My_Butt

I would judge by the amount of fat around their heart and other organs.

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

healthy is as healthy does. It is not defined by the size stitched into your clothing.

BiggyFuzz

From a male point of view the size doesn't matter, it all depends on how you feel physically and mentally. My personal preference is a woman who is healthy curvy (if that is such a thing..lol) to me size 14 is perfect and i find that healthy in my eyes

However, "healthy" to me means if they can do activities for long period of times without huffing and puffing for example, bike riding, sports, hiking, sex etc etc...

This is just my opinion and i'm sure more folks will opine.

giggitygoo

Dress size is in no way an accurate portrayal of health. Also, while a size 10-12 might be around average, could still be very well into the "overweight" category depending on height. It's all relative and makes no difference. We can't cram every woman into a single category no matter the qualifiers.

_John_

Unknown

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benefiting

I did say I know it's no way to accutually tells one's health but what I am getting at is, what makes the woman a plus size when she's around the average of a healthy woman. Why aren't all models healthy sizes instead of size 0-6, etc?

benefiting

BFDeal wrote: »

MFP rules specifically state that unless you have visible abs you are unhealthy.

LOL. Damn. I guess lots of us are unhealthy then.

callsitlikeiseeit

clothing size is not an indicator of health AT ALL. all it is, is a portrayal of the fashion industry's idiocy.

I am obese by all accounts, yet my blood work, blood pressure, sugar levels, heart condition, cholesterol, sleep levels, etc are all EXCELLENT. Far better than my best friend, who weighs much less and has WAY more bad habits (smoking, over eating, not exercising at ALL, etc). Aside from weight (working on that), I am VERY healthy.

What I have found, losing weight, is that my energy levels have increased and I FEEL better and am in a better mood! There are a lot of reasons i want to lose weight, but to fit into a certain size clothing is not one of them

kamakazeekim

Size per se does not matter when talking about health. What does their blood panel show? Are they able to be physically active without too much pain and huffing and puffing? How much fat is around their internal organs (even skinny people can have really fatty organs)? I know that I for one was "healthier" when I was larger. Now that I've lost 130 pounds I feel weak and tired...I throw up all the time....I'm constantly getting sick...and my heart is not able to maintain a high enough blood pressure. I'm tired of seeing people equate weight with health...the numbers on the scale are not a good indicator of what is going on internally.

Dared2Evolve

kojiro44705 wrote: »

I would judge by the amount of fat around their heart and other organs.

I think I agree with ^. However it has to do also with how in shape the lady is, can she run upstairs without being winded? Skinny ladies can also be 'unfit'.

Ria_StayingFit

Dress size does not matter, fitness level does and this does not equate to those fab abs. I have muscle tone but will never have my abs showing through. Kids factor into it, but I also know I would never be able to eat as cleanly as I would need to for my abs to pop out. Go with what works for you, keeping health and fitness at the top of your list.

therealblackdahlia

I think it depends on the individual woman and her overall health. There are many women that could be deemed a 'perfect' size 4 or 6 let's say, but that doesn't mean they are healthy. I'd be more concerned about internal health than the outside size/number.

ilfaith

All women must be a size 6 to be healthy. Anything larger or smaller is unhealthy. Height and build make no difference. Everyone must conform.

goal226

Whatever size @ilfaith is...looks healthy to me...

NewMeSM75

I'm not sure about a specific size. My husband just says he prefers curves to a super thin woman.

_Tink_

benefiting wrote: »

I did say I know it's no way to accutually tells one's health but what I am getting at is, what makes the woman a plus size when she's around the average of a healthy woman. Why aren't all models healthy sizes instead of size 0-6, etc?

So...you're saying that sizes 0-6 are unhealthy, while sizes 10-14 are healthy? 0.o

jkwolly

_Tink_ wrote: »

benefiting wrote: »

I did say I know it's no way to accutually tells one's health but what I am getting at is, what makes the woman a plus size when she's around the average of a healthy woman. Why aren't all models healthy sizes instead of size 0-6, etc?

So...you're saying that sizes 0-6 are unhealthy, while sizes 10-14 are healthy? 0.o

Yeah, caught that one too

benefiting

_Tink_ wrote: »

benefiting wrote: »

I did say I know it's no way to accutually tells one's health but what I am getting at is, what makes the woman a plus size when she's around the average of a healthy woman. Why aren't all models healthy sizes instead of size 0-6, etc?

So...you're saying that sizes 0-6 are unhealthy, while sizes 10-14 are healthy? 0.o

Look, this question is mainly directed the woman who is size 14 (12 US) and is called a plus size model. It's directed to what people think is the size of a healthy woman, not that she is actually healthy or not. As I've said, I'm aware that size is not a measurement of health but I was wondering what people perceive as a healthy size in general. I personally believe this model would be a realistic size for woman and health in general based on size alone but that's just my opinion. What is everyone else's?

Yogi_warrior

there is nothing like healthy size. People of all sizes are unhealthy or healthy.

beets4us

I think the size of a healthy woman should be whatever SHE wants it to be

iwillsucceed0444

I don't give a *kitten* about a stupid number on a piece of cloth...healthy comes in all shapes and sizes, so beauty, so does confidence.

MoiAussi93

I don't view certain clothing sizes as healthy or unhealthy because it depends on height and body type. A 5'10" woman could be a size 10 or 12 and be healthy...or she could be overweight. It depends on how much is muscle vs fat and where she carries the weight.

But a 5'3" woman who is a size ten or 12 is almost certainly overweight.

Just because a size is average doesn't mean it is healthy. 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, so average is not a good thing here.

Metazoick

Like everybody else here said, dress size =/= health in any way. A short girl and a tall girl can be exactly the same fitness wise with very different dress sizes for example, and that's not even taking into account how unfit skinny girls can be and how fit larger girls can be: I once knew somebody decidedly in the 'overweight' category but she could run circles around me with zero effort while I was lying on the grass dying. Unless their bodyshape is at the extreme end of the spectrum health and bodyshape don't equate.

BUT you're talking about one model in particular, and asking why somebody of an average weight was considered plus size in the fashion world. The answer is that, in that particular industry, she *is* plus sized (by which I mean over the average weight) compared to the rest of the models. Fashion models have to be skinny because the designers prefer it when clothes 'drape' off them - it shows off the outfit better and draws more attention to it. This isn't true of all designers, brands or models, naturally, but it can't be argued that there's a huge amount of pressure to be skinny in that world. This has issues, models are the Chosen Ones of beauty, so if they're all well under average weight then surely that must be the ideal look, but these criticisms are well documented and have been explained far better than I ever can in a little forum post. It could easily be that the 'plus sized' models are healthier than some of their more extreme counterparts, but modelling simply isn't about promoting healthy looks or being an accurate representation of the population. It's about selling stuff.

mamameaof2kiddos

beets4us wrote: »

I think the size of a healthy woman should be whatever SHE wants it to be

I agree on you girl.. Whatever size as long as you are healthy.

mangrothian

I would like to point out to all the non-Australians in here, an Australian size 14 equates to about a US size 10.

@benefiting I was a little curious, are you talking about Robyn Lawley, or the Australian plus size models in particular? I know most of the City Chic 'plus size' models are usually a 14-16, and fit in an XS in their clothing lines.

benefiting

mangrothian wrote: »

I would like to point out to all the non-Australians in here, an Australian size 14 equates to about a US size 10.

@benefiting I was a little curious, are you talking about Robyn Lawley, or the Australian plus size models in particular? I know most of the City Chic 'plus size' models are usually a 14-16, and fit in an XS in their clothing lines.

Thanks for that correction. I must of looked at a dodgy site for converting that.

The model's name is Laura Wells. If you take a look at her, she looks healthy and fit. She doesn't look overweight and I wouldn't call her a plus size. She just has a curvy lowerhalf. It's wrong to have her classed in that caterogy.

I'll say one more time what my question intended. It's not about health in itself as health needs more measurements than a dress size but through someone eyes without knowing all those measurements what do you view as a healthy dress size.

Kudos to you if you don't think some sizes are more healthier looking than others but some do and it can take an impact on people who think they need to be these sizes to be beautiful and such I believe and since I am focused on this particlar model according to a website (not sure if it's accurate) she is 5"10 so base your answers off that.

barry1992

My wife always fluctuated between size 6 when she was upset / depressed to size 10 when all is well with her life. So strictly from that barometer I would say size 10 - 12.

mangrothian

benefiting wrote: »

mangrothian wrote: »

I would like to point out to all the non-Australians in here, an Australian size 14 equates to about a US size 10.

@benefiting I was a little curious, are you talking about Robyn Lawley, or the Australian plus size models in particular? I know most of the City Chic 'plus size' models are usually a 14-16, and fit in an XS in their clothing lines.

Thanks for that correction. I must of looked at a dodgy site for converting that.

The model's name is Laura Wells. If you take a look at her, she looks healthy and fit. She doesn't look overweight and I wouldn't call her a plus size. She just has a curvy lowerhalf. It's wrong to have her classed in that caterogy.

I'll say one more time what my question intended. It's not about health in itself as health needs more measurements than a dress size but through someone eyes without knowing all those measurements what do you view as a healthy dress size.

Kudos to you if you don't think some sizes are more healthier looking than others but some do and it can take an impact on people who think they need to be these sizes to be beautiful and such I believe and since I am focused on this particlar model according to a website (not sure if it's accurate) she is 5"10 so base your answers off that.

Thanks, I was curious as to which model it was, because I've read a few articles that have been smack talking the 'plus size' models recently. I bet my buttons that if you asked Laura Wells, she'd say she was a 'real size' model, which I think might be a better turn of phrase. Granted, if you popped almost anyone next to a catwalk model, they'd look like a plus size.

I think a woman is healthy at whatever 'size' (considering the variations in womens clothing sizes from store to store, it's not a great measuring stick anyway!) she looks her best at, which will always vary from woman to woman. If her 'internal' health is clear, then it shouldn't matter.

jemhh

This is an unanswerable question because women are all shaped differently and fit different size dresses. My Thai friend has a very slight build and wears very small sizes. She would be big at size 4. Another friend is more Amazonian in stature and I am guessing a 12 when she is on point fitness-wise.

You can't measure health with a fashion yardstick.