Do you think today's standards are based on an overweight na

Clothes have definitely changed in sizing - it's called 'vanity sizing' - I think there's at least a 1-2 size difference from the 80's.

I think the media is less tolerant of weight issues and obesity, as the previous poster mentions, but clothing manufacturers are well aware of the trend toward increased weight and obesity, and they just care about selling clothes, so they've changed the sizes so people don't freak out about what size they really are, and keep buying clothes...

I think people hold the general populations & models to a completely different set of standards. Models are shrinking, general population is growing.

If somebody sees a size 8 model, she's "average", or even "chubby". A size 8 normal person, they think they're "skinny".

Clothes have definitely changed in sizing - it's called 'vanity sizing' - I think there's at least a 1-2 size difference from the 80's.

^^^This - the view has definitely changed. What we see as "normal" IS bigger, and designers are in on it, too, making us "feel good" so we can wear smaller numbers even if our size is bigger.

I don't know about the charts, but sizes are definitely different.

As a teen (25 plus years ago), I was a size 8. Now I weigh probably 10 more pounds than I did then, and I'm a size 4. doesn't make sense, does it?

I agree, I have some of my older clothes from 25-30 years ago and the sizes are different. Frustrating!

^THIS & THAT^

Yes. Vanity sizing! 50 years ago a size 8 was smaller then a size 8 these days. Anyone who has shopped at vintage stores would notice this.

I believe the clothing industry has changed it's standards regarding sizing it's called "Vanity Sizing".

Gap admitted doing it years ago, they said their sales went up because it made woman feel good to be able to wear a size 4-6 in their jeans when in other brands they were an 8-10, other companies caught on and jumped on the band wagon. Adding "stretch" to jeans also allows people to go to a smaller size.

Personally, I prefer jeans with no stretch that go by waist size and not 2,4,6 etc sizing. I tried on a dress the other day that was a "size 4" and it fit like a glove but wasn't right for the occasion - I was thrilled BUT I know I'm not a 4 - the dress I'm wearing in my profile picture is from a highend store and it's an 8, a 6 was too tight in the bust. I am not silly enough to think I'm a 4 but it did something for me for a minute.

Sizes have been getting bigger (at least in the UK they have). My mum (now 55 years old) has been a size 12 since she was 18, and she herself will admit she's a lot wider now then she was at 18. Ignoring models since they are 90% of the time underweight and unhealthy (I'm sure some aren't but I'm not going to bother educating myself right now), we have come to accept bigger sizes as the norm but never stop to consider how big our sizes actually are, my mum gave me (years back now) a skirt from when she was 18 for a fancy dress party, size 12, was smaller then my size 8 skirts I wore at the time, not by much but by enough for me to feel a bit of a pinch. So over the course of say 40 years, a size 12 has increased to what was once a size 16, does that mean by 2050 a size 12 will be what is currently a size 18? If you look at the national average sizes over the years you will notice how they got up, as being overweight becomes more and more accepted, by that I don't mean being overweight is a crime and you shouldn't go out in public if you are, I just mean that people might think about weight issues more now then they did 40 years ago, but I think they do less about it, making it "okay" to be overweight (unhealthy overweight I mean not overweight because of your frame) and from it being okay to be overweight it becomes "okay" to be obese because a certain percentage of people already are, and so on so forth.
Sorry if I've insulted/offended anyone with this, I myself am overweight so it's a criticism of me as much as it is of you, but it's just what I think.

I'm not to sure about the clothing sizes changing. When I was younger I was chubbier and wore a 7-9 in juniors, now I wear a 3-5 in juniors, but a size 7-9 is huge on me now so I think juniors sizes have remained the same for the most part.. I refuse to start wearing women's sizes in clothes. lol. Not really I just don't shop anywhere currently that goes my women's sizes so I can't relate if they have changed or not. For the record SIZE 8 IS NOT PLUS SIZE! thats crazy!

My husband got a medium drink from burger king and I thought they gave him a extra large. It was way to big. Sizes have definilty changed for the worse. Portion sizes are out of control. I rarely eat at restaurants I would rather cook. But when I do I normally could get 3 meals out of the one plate! Like at olive garden or somewhere, who the hell can eat a entire plate of pasta there, I get through like 25% and feel full. At home I use smaller plates so then the plate still appears super full but its really not.

I went out with a friend a few weeks ago and ordered a chicken salad dinner... the salad could have fed 4 people!!!

Its so wasteful and unhealthy. Even though since I always take a ton of left overs home for lunch/dinner the next day I guess as long as you have self control and know what a healthy amount of food to consume is it works in your favor c:

I live in Miami and have a friend who recently went to Michigan to meet some friends she met online. In Miami (our normal lives), I am "fat" and my friend is "normal", at least for Miami. (there is a 50 lbs difference between us, at least) She told me that when she got to Michigan, she would be considered "skinny" and I would be "normal" - compared to most other people encountered everywhere they went. I don't know about sizes, but I wonder if they are the same all over the country.

Here's a neat article that NPR did about spandex, and the opinions about whether or not it allows obese/overweight people to keep being obese (since it's added to a lot of clothes these days): http://www.npr.org/2011/12/11/143003539/spandex-has-stretched-with-u-s-waistlines?ft=1&f=1001

Just some food for thought.

I mean, sizes fluctuate with styles and brands of clothes. I feel like society still "fat shames" people, but they make bigger clothing sizes easily available. However, I agree with some of the opinions on that article. People still try to "fat shame" others in this country, but more and more people are okay with being overweight. I don't want to be judgmental about how these girls look since it's their choice and if they want to own their weight then more power to them. I think clothing sizes have changed because companies realize that the every day person IS heavier due to the way we currently live. I've come to accept that even at my goal weight, I will wear a size 12 dress/pants. I'm just busty and have big hips, and I'm totally okay with that.

Portion sizes are definitely out of control at restaurants. I got a combo meal at Taco Bell a few weeks ago to treat myself/I was being lazy, and the drink size was 32 oz. Like I'm really going to drink 32 oz of empty calories and sugar? I drank about a quarter of it and threw the rest out. It's nuts that people think they HAVE to eat everything that is put in front of them.

I think that we are all going to he!! in a happy meal box. lol--jk, I remember when I was a teen and worked at McDonalds. We were transitioning to the "larger" sizing (which transitioned again a few years later). People were shocked to get that much fries and drink, but then became used to it and always ordered up. As portion sizes get bigger, people will get bigger. I try to order half-size portions if they have them or will order off the senior menu. I also have the server box up half the meal before it is brought to my table so I only have what I can eat in front of me. Some servers get a little grumpy, but most are pretty good and the places I go to all know that I tip well so I don't get many issues.

I think sizes in the states are bigger than in Canada. Last time I was shopping down there, I was buying size 4, when here I wore 6/8

This is what I'm thinking, too. A size 4 here is still quite small. I'm not sure about US sizing.. but I don't think "vanity sizing" is so much a thing up here.