Over weight or under fat?

[MindyWatson]

So say a girl wears a medium. She doesn't wear small or extra small. She's not a 0 but she's not a 10. She's average. She's right in the middle.

Is she over weight? Is she skinny with pounds she needs to lose to be skinny?

Or because she's not a 12, not a large or extra large is she "not fat" or "under fat"?

It's the zebra question of perception (black stripes on white or are they white stripes on black?) applied to the attractiveness of a woman.

Is average attractive? Socially acceptable? Or is average fat-light. Where it's almost as bad as being fat but not quite?

[madmisskelly]

Overweight is a very broad term that has little to do with your size.

Those terms have more to do with your body fat percentage. You can have a high body fat percentage and wear a size small, and you can have a super low body fat percentage and wear larger clothing.

There is still this perception that skinny is healthy because human beings are visual creatures and we judge whehter we admit it or not. The fact of the matter is, you can be skinny and have a high body fat percentage and little muscle. You can be a bigger person and have a lower body fat percentage than the skinny person.

Likewise, skinny doesn't always mean in shape either. I know some bigger people who are more flexible, athletic than skinny people for reals.

Another impact on size? Frame size. If it weren't for my broad shoulders and chest I would wear a small dress size. Because of my shoulders and chest I wear a size 6/8.

[h_i_n_e_s]

It's all about ratios and how the body fat is proportioned. For example, I'm 120 lbs and very fit - but my boobs are small and my waist has no curves, it's just straight down. My sister is 160 lbs - and she's sexy as Hell because her boobs are big and her waist cinches in. I wear a size 4 and she wears a 12, but guys prefer her to me.

[Cryostatic]

I find "average" sized women to be highly attractive. My girlfriend sort of fluxuates between sizes 9-11, and I think she's very hot.

Also, some people carry their weight better than others. Someone whose extra fat distributes evenly can be heavier and still look better than someone who carries their excess weight in one place.

[Anonymous]

Being normal is always good.

[hosieryguy]

women! no mater how small you are, you always think you need to loose weight. not so! a medium is perfect, this boney look is so unatractive like paris hilton or so. come on, a few curves are sexy! I like my girlfriend, she has an houreglass figure with a couple extra minutes, just perfect!

[kheserthorpe]

The average American woman (and man) are fat.

The rest of the world is following America's lead.

Now if you;re a size 6, your'e actually not average. 50% of American are size 14 or above. Seriously.

Size 6" She's above average, and neither fat nor thin.

[peace-love-couture]

Size 16 now

[kheserthorpe]

They'll make size 14 bigger soon I'm sure to compensate ;)

[perkynipples]

maybe its cause I'm a guy but I have no idea what your saying.

cant judge attractiveness without a picture.

at the very least, need weight + height to see if someone is overweight. a picture would be ideal too though.

[Anonymous]

any chubby girl can squeeze themselves into a size medium, sizes don't mean anything..

[Claretica]

Sizes mean nothing to me, mainly because I don't know what they realistically represent.

[martyfellow]

These days, average is overweight, as you seem to know. So don't be content with being 'average.' Go for 'superior.'

[Anonymous]

When I wear a size six or eight it means that I'm getting fatter.

[posted]

pictures or POSSIBLY height/weight would make this about a million times easier.