Adult Females - Should Ribs Show ?

Personally, I don't think they should. There should be a little padding over the ribs unless you are into body building which is a whole other kettle of fish.

Everyone has a different body type. At a healthy weight, one person is going to look different from the other.

My ds has visible ribs and this worried me. I feel better now :laugh:

I suspect visible ribs would happen at a really low weight for me. I like when I get to a shape where I have collar bones and maybe a hint of where my rib cage is, but that's about the lowest I'll go, for the moment.

It really depends on how your body fat is distributed to be honest. Visible ribs 'at rest' would be a bit of a red flag to pay attention to being underfat - but someone is not necessarily underweight if they have them. It really depends on how much they show also.

I'm 18, so an "adult" haha

My ribs show when I stretch and things like that but they're not popping out of my skin!

If I stretch, or breathe in, you can see them. but if I'm relaxed you can't see them. And I'm 118lbs, BMI of 20.4, which is the lower end of healthy weight. I think in order to see my ribs when 'letting it all hang out' as it were, I'd have to be underweight.

not sure with adults, though would not have thought so. both my sons as little kids and young teenagers, had ribs on show despite eating tonnes of food but then all the kids in our family were like that (as in nieces and nephews) so think it is a family trait. Now they are early 20s they are still thin but no ribs to be seen unless they stretch. I would however take what the doc said with a pinch of salt as many kids are built differently but still healthy. the boys in our family have no waists, are very skinny looking but have big heads but are no more or less healthy that kids that carry a little bit of pre pubity weight.

The amount of body fat that's considered healthy is different for children, adult women and adult men. I've also seen that children's ribs are normally visible when they are at a healthy weight (on reputable, medical sites). I wouldn't be worried if the bottom of a woman's rib cage or the collar bone could be discerned, but it would seem odd (and I'd worry) if you could distinguish individual ribs.
P.S. I meant "at rest". When stretching or something, I would think seeing ribs, especially on the back could be in the healthy range. In my late teens, when I was close to, but not underweight (according to my doctor and charts), you could see my lower ribs, especially in some positions.

I've always been underweight and I have a low body fat percentage and my ribs don't show. The only time they do is if I suck it in a lot or lean really far back.

I think it just has to do with how your body is built. I had a friend who was classic pear shape and kinda chubby from the hips down. Her ribs stuck out a lot, you could clearly see them all the time. I think she just had a big rib cage.

Mine show and I'm not underweight. I mean, they're not jabbing through my skin or anything, but as someone above said, there's a "hint of rib." I just have a lean torso.

No

I think there is a bit of confusion..."Look at the dog's ribs. When you feel for the ribs, you should be able to feel each individual rib, with a thin layer of fat over the bone. If you can see each rib, the dog is too thin; if you cannot feel any ribs at all, the dog is too heavy." I am not sure if this is the same for adult humans...seriously though, I say if you are concerned, ask your doctor.

I think it depends on ur body type. I can see my ribs, but I'm not underweight. Mostly I can see mine in my chest.