What is "too skinny" for you?
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To answer the OP, I very seldom think people are too skinny. Sure there are those who are dangerously thin, but that's an exception, not a rule.
I actually think that the opposite is true. Because we've gotten so fat in the States (and upcoming in other countries) the perception of "normal" has radically shifted. Today's "skinny" person can often be classified medically as overweight. I'm not talking extreme obesity here, or even being "fat" either. I think we are becoming accustomed to seeing excess fat on our bodies to the point that being "just" 10-15 lbs overweight is expected and very typical now.
I think we're at the point that people who have actual very low fat bodies, that are NOT celebrities, are starting to be accused of being "too" thin/skinny/lean.
A couple studies have shown that people these days, by and large, tend to significantly:
Underestimate how much they eat.
Overestimate how much bodyfat they're carrying.
Evidence of that can be seen on this board when you see women claiming they'll look "anorexic" in a size 8 and average height dudes who think they'll resemble a "skeleton" below 180lbs.
^This. well put. As someone who has trouble keeping weight on, and has been called "too skinny" by many people, I tend to wonder why this is acceptable. Body shaming is considered unacceptable when it comes to people with a high body fat percentage, so why is it acceptable for people with a low body fat percentage? I was surprised when I caculated my body fat percentage, and it was 18%. Lower than I had estimated. I saw a post previously that anyone under 19% is too thin, but I have been unable to put any weight on for a while, so that makes me feel as though there is something wrong with me.0 -
At Marilyn's heaviest she reportedly weighed 140lbs. At 5'5" that is still not a size 16!
In high school, I weighed 120 pounds, and I wore a size 14. After college, I was up 140 pounds, and I had to ditch my 14s and get a size 16 in "relaxed fit." (I am 5'4") For women's clothing, sizes do NOT go by weight or by measurements. Also, waist size is only *part* of what determines a lady's size.
I know lots of women who have posted in these forums about how they weigh like 50 pounds more than me, are the same height, and somehow they can wear two or three sizes smaller than me. Some women have a wider bone structure that makes those tiny sizes impossible to get past the hip bones.0 -
Totally subjective. Too many variables
Check out http://www.mybodygallery.com and see what you think from there
I agree. And I love that site!
I actually hate that site! :laugh:0 -
It's like porn, I know it when I see it. I can't say "when you see ribs sticking out" because I have a large ribcage and have visible ribs at a BMI of 21 and body fat percentage of 20%. Definitely not underweight or under fat, that's just how my body is. Can't say a certain size because some women are just very petite but don't look sickly skinny. You just know too skinny when you see too skinny.0
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Hmm, I am approx 175cm and when I weighed under 63kg (5'8 138lbs) I used to faint a lot when I ran up stairs and stuff in the morning before breakfast.
So that would probably be too skinny for me.0 -
This is a direct reply to the OP without reading the full thread. I feel compelled to say this since I got my a/ss handed to me last week for not reading an entire thread.
Anywho, OP I try not to judge others but for me personally I know that whenever my hip bones stuck out and I was bumping into things like counters and stuff with the bones first that was like my bottom end of looking okay. If I ever got thinner past that point it was just all knobby knees and elbows and not a look I'd like to have again. I went into this zone a few times during my late teens and early twenties without really trying just my normal active lifestyle could sometimes lead in that direction if I were a) not leaving enough time (planned time) for meals or 2) not finding the right balance of eating low fat versus allowing myself occasional indulgences. I have in the past gone seriously low fat and also tried food exclusion type diets. The one i tried allowed plenty of protein and fat so luckily that was not the time I got IMO of myself "too skinny", i was slender but shapely. IT was more during the 80's and nineties when the whole world was non fat everything and fat was the devil du jour that I teetered sometimes on too small with my active lifestyle at the time.
Since sugar is this decade's villain I hope that means no matter how active I slowly but surely become I will not be in danger of becoming that kind of bony again...I have a LONG way to go to start worrying about that so, yeah. I'm just chill for now.0 -
So I think the truth is, take what you think you should weigh, and add 5 lbs to that to be at the ideal weight, and not too thin.
This isn't the case for a lot of people, particularly people who use to be very overweight or obese.
From my experience on various boards through the year, and larger people I know in real life, most people who were once fat tend to err on the side of making TOO high goal weights that leave them still in the "overweight" category. A lot of people cannot wrap their minds around a truly low, but healthy, body weight or bodyfat level. So, for example, a 300lbs, small framed, shorter woman with a typical lean body mass would be healthy under 120lbs, but you rarely find women in that category who would ever make 110-115lbs their goal weight. Many would say that it's impossible to get that small, or that they'd look "sick" or skeletal.
I don't think MOST people these days are underestimating goal weight.
Also family/friends are sometimes the WORSE people to use for advice on your goals. If you've been overweight at all a ton of people who love you are prone to tell you to stop, even if you still have lots of fat left. Human beings, on the whole, are resistant to change. The people closest to us are sometimes far to bias to give us any real, objective advice.0 -
How old are you?
Is this a school assignment?
Relevance?0 -
I don't think I've ever been too skinny, I'm naturally petite, naturally very small framed (I have 5.25 inch wrists), and I feel best when my weight is right down that bottom end of that alleged 'normal' BMI range. When I was at my lightest I was 90-95lb (depending on which scales I used) and I was still taking an F cup bra, so I didn't lose my curves. I also conceived first month of trying at that weight.
I think the whole ideal weight thing (and thus what falls outside it) is impossible to clarify because there are too many variables (height, body shape, frame size, body fat verses LMB &'s etc) and it's also highly subjective towards what people personally find attractive.
I think women should focus on feeling healthy, comfortable and confident and you can bet there are a whole army of men out there who will love her for the way she is based on that. It's all horses for courses and what is really and truly important is being healthy and feeling good about yourself.0 -
^This. well put. As someone who has trouble keeping weight on, and has been called "too skinny" by many people, I tend to wonder why this is acceptable. Body shaming is considered unacceptable when it comes to people with a high body fat percentage, so why is it acceptable for people with a low body fat percentage? I was surprised when I caculated my body fat percentage, and it was 18%. Lower than I had estimated. I saw a post previously that anyone under 19% is too thin, but I have been unable to put any weight on for a while, so that makes me feel as though there is something wrong with me.
Yes, it's skinny/thin shaming. It's pathetic.
Fat shaming happens, unfortunately, but there is a societal stigma against it. None exists in this society at present for skinny folks. Just look at this thread for example. Those who say they are "disgusted" by ribs showing, visible spin bones, waif like women, etc, might not realize how mad they'd get if this topic was "What is 'too fat' for you?", asked people to point out fat celebs that are unacceptable, and then went on rants about how disgusting they find back fat rolls, double chins, stretch marks, thick hips, and cottage cheese thighs.
As a man I don't begrudge what women go through (though men aren't immune to these issues either).0 -
Yes, it's skinny/thin shaming. It's pathetic.
Fat shaming happens, unfortunately, but there is a societal stigma against it. None exists in this society at present for skinny folks. Just look at this thread for example. Those who say they are "disgusted" by ribs showing, visible spin bones, waif like women, etc, might not realize how mad they'd get if this topic was "What is 'too fat' for you?", asked people to point out fat celebs that are unacceptable, and then went on rants about how disgusting they find back fat rolls, double chins, stretch marks, thick hips, and cottage cheese thighs.
As a man I don't begrudge what women go through (though men aren't immune to these issues either).
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^This. well put. As someone who has trouble keeping weight on, and has been called "too skinny" by many people, I tend to wonder why this is acceptable. Body shaming is considered unacceptable when it comes to people with a high body fat percentage, so why is it acceptable for people with a low body fat percentage? I was surprised when I caculated my body fat percentage, and it was 18%. Lower than I had estimated. I saw a post previously that anyone under 19% is too thin, but I have been unable to put any weight on for a while, so that makes me feel as though there is something wrong with me.
Yes, it's skinny/thin shaming. It's pathetic.
Fat shaming happens, unfortunately, but there is a societal stigma against it. None exists in this society at present for skinny folks. Just look at this thread for example. Those who say they are "disgusted" by ribs showing, visible spin bones, waif like women, etc, might not realize how mad they'd get if this topic was "What is 'too fat' for you?", asked people to point out fat celebs that are unacceptable, and then went on rants about how disgusting they find back fat rolls, double chins, stretch marks, thick hips, and cottage cheese thighs.
As a man I don't begrudge what women go through (though men aren't immune to these issues either).
:flowerforyou:0 -
^This. well put. As someone who has trouble keeping weight on, and has been called "too skinny" by many people, I tend to wonder why this is acceptable. Body shaming is considered unacceptable when it comes to people with a high body fat percentage, so why is it acceptable for people with a low body fat percentage? I was surprised when I caculated my body fat percentage, and it was 18%. Lower than I had estimated. I saw a post previously that anyone under 19% is too thin, but I have been unable to put any weight on for a while, so that makes me feel as though there is something wrong with me.
Yes, it's skinny/thin shaming. It's pathetic.
Fat shaming happens, unfortunately, but there is a societal stigma against it. None exists in this society at present for skinny folks. Just look at this thread for example. Those who say they are "disgusted" by ribs showing, visible spin bones, waif like women, etc, might not realize how mad they'd get if this topic was "What is 'too fat' for you?", asked people to point out fat celebs that are unacceptable, and then went on rants about how disgusting they find back fat rolls, double chins, stretch marks, thick hips, and cottage cheese thighs.
As a man I don't begrudge what women go through (though men aren't immune to these issues either).
It bothers me when people say things about how women of a certain size are weak and not strong. That they must not lift heavy weights. That they allow their muscles to atrophy. That they must have mental problems and bad priorities. That they starve.
Some women are just small.
I eat a lot, I lift weights. I'm strong mentally, physically, emotionally. I'm a dancer, so that is my priority in my "fitness", but I lift heavy weights at least 3 times a week. I'm not trying to be a powerlifter and that's ok too. We don't all have to have the same goals. Weight lifting can be for health, fitness, strength. There is a range between lifting barbie weights and lifting 2.5 times our body weight. We can also be lifting our body weight amount and do better on some lifts, than others. And prefer some lifts to others. It just seems people contradict themselves a lot on here when it comes to weight lifting. They say weight lifting makes them smaller, but then they say small sized women must not lift weights. Makes no sense. Yeah, at this point weight lifting doesn't make me smaller (although it did). It also doesn't make me bigger (although in some ways it did). Now, I just maintain my basic size, with minor fluctuations and continued improvements in my fitness.
I admire all different bodies and the work that went into it. We do all look different and we can still admire one another. We don't need to all look the same.0 -
For some reason the figure I genuinely love is often looked upon as "too skinny" and I hesitate to be honest about my taste because I feel like it's looked down upon. My ideal would be, for reference, like Sasha Markena. Although it's not my personal goal, it's still what I like the look of the most.
Always aim for what's right for your body, we're all so different, what's healthy for one isn't for another.0 -
My whole life I've been bullied for being "too skinny". My doctors all think I'm fine. And you know what? Even if I was too skinny, that wouldn't be anybody else's business. Some people think it's okay to touch my body or make rude comments just because I weigh less than them, and it's really hurtful.0
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It depends on body type, and the HEALTH of the person. If the person is healthy, eats healthy, they're fine to me. I'm tired of saying well if they're too skinny. I have skinny friends who are much fitter than I am! There's no such thing as "too skinny" for me. There's such a thing as "unhealthy" or "eating disorder" for me. And that just makes me sad. No one should have to go through something like that.
But it's time we stopped body shaming "skinny" people. As long as they're maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, it's not my business. And even if they're not. Still not my business. 0 -
An interesting question. I'm 5'3' and I think I look best at around 120 pounds. 115 starts to get borderline too skinny for me. At 110 I look positively ill. I know plenty of women who are my height and 100-110 pounds who look perfectly healthy. It's just not my body type.0
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If I weigh less than 125 lbs, I look like a well groomed meth head with inexplicably good teeth. That's too skinny.
This made me laugh!0 -
Ha! Trick question! You can never be too skinny!
Newbie.0 -
If I can see your ribs then you are too thin.0
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