"Big Boned"

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patriot201
patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am 5'8" and weigh between 125-135 (depending on the day, the week, or the month), so I am not overweight, but am also not a small girl. I am built exactly like some of my maternal relatives-- with a giant head, very wide shoulders, wide rib cage, and wide hips. There is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all" for my hands or head. Women's gloves RARELY fit me, and hats are a serious struggle.

My former doctor, as well as my dietician said I had a large-to-extra-large frame. Even when I was SUPER skinny, I still had a 36" rib cage and 36" hips. I am, I guess, just not built to be tiny. It has come in handy, I guess, because my past two bone injuries have only resulted in minor-to-moderate fractures, and the orthopedist BOTH times said I was lucky my bones were so big and strong.

When others have heard me say that I am "big boned," though, they laugh. They say I don't understand the concept of "big boned," and that I am small.

I'm just curious what you all think--
1) Is there a such thing as "big boned," or is that just an excuse?
2) Can someone who is not technically overweight be "big boned"?

Replies

  • itsclobberintime
    itsclobberintime Posts: 164 Member
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    Giggity?
  • shannonbun
    shannonbun Posts: 168 Member
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    Some people do have larger bones than others. Everyone's frame and structure is different, so it's important to remember that, too.
  • jgrabowski33
    jgrabowski33 Posts: 19 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I think the term "big boned" has become more of a nice way to say, or an excuse for being, overweight. So when you say you're "big boned" (which you technically are) people probably assume you mean overweight (which you aren't). Peoples frames vary drastically, and I would go with saying you have a large frame, rather than that you are big boned, just because of the negative connotations that term has come to possess.
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
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    Some people would say being small boned or large boned is a myth, but I think there's something to it. If you look at large tall people with large skulls, feet and hands, and then there are people who are just miniscule with tiny hands and very petite builds- I think there are all different sizes of skeletons. I do know one girl who lost a lot of weight in high school but she still didn't like the way she looked because she had this large rib cage yet her hips and legs were small. She was an apple shape and when she was heavy all of her weight was carried in the middle section.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Of course there is such a thing as a larger frame size and bone structure.

    At your height/weight though...I doubt that you have it.

    Here's the official way to determine frame size:

    nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17182.htm
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    HIyah i am 5 8 as well and I dont think i could make it to your weight. You do sound quite small. Do you have pictures of yourself
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Of course there is such a thing as a larger frame size and bone structure.

    At your height/weight though...I doubt that you have it.

    Here's the official way to determine frame size:

    nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17182.htm

    I loved this site. I'm 5'11" female, and could never find bracelets to fit me----my wrist is 8". Even when I weighed 145 lbs in high school, now 167 lbs. A large frame size for a male has a wrist over 7.5", so yes, I am big-boned. B)

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