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THERESA: Today's New York Times reports on a new, exhaustive survey of the American shape. The study was commissioned by the clothing industry, and shows (guess what?) we're getting bigger. The average woman is no longer a size 8, but a size 12. And we're getting bigger around the middle, especially.
The story mentions one aspect of clothing industry marketing-- "vanity sizing" -- in which a size 12 item is marked as a size 8 to appeal more to customers. I know that happens (I once bought a gigantic size 0 Chico's skirt, and I'm no size 0!) but yikes.
My take on this? Size matters, yeah, but only as it relates to health. It's important not to be carrying around too much girth, 'cause it makes you feel sluggish and is likely to reduce your lifespan. And paying attention to what size you are may motivate some women to stay fit and healthy. So I call for an end to vanity sizing-- we need some consistency here! (After all, what kind of shape would we be in if bathroom scales gradually adjusted up so that within a few years 150 pounds would read as 120?)
What does everyone else think?
YVONNE: I agree with you on the sizing. I hate to try things on in the store so I just grab what I think is my size. If I get it home and it is not what I expected, I could beat myself. The weight thing can be confusing. I have gained about 7 pounds but all my clothes still fit. Is this all muscle density? I doubt it. But my trainer told me to stop going by what the old charts tell us we are supposed to weigh based on our height. I'd like to know how much you all concern yourself with your weight.
THERESA: I heard a good tip at a women's business luncheon I went to some time back. Instead of worrying about a number on the scale, pay attention to how your jeans fit. Don't let yourself get too big to wear a pair in your ideal size.
The study points out that we're getting especially big around our mid-sections. So gauge how your belts fit--- and make it a point not to be going up a notch from year to year! Once you decide you just don't want to wear belts anymore at all, well, it's time to double up on the gym time!
YVONNE W:
That would be great In an ideal situation. However, I need the scale or else I fool myself into thinking I haven't gained weight until I look at a side angle in the mirror and my stomach is the first thing I see.
Women's sizing makes no sense. Especially when travelling abroad. I never remember if London's sizes are bigger or smaller! And just forget sizing consistency across designers. It should be standardized based on measurements (like Men's).
Also, I say forget the scale. It is too hard for me to properly gauge clothing fit for optimal body size either. So, I advocate the measuring tape.
I started a gym routine and lost one pound in 6 weeks, but about 6 inches off my waist (and several other inches in other areas).
Posted by: Christy on March 1, 2004 11:09 AMJenice: Theresa, you do the jeans test, too? I swear by it. And I never get on the scale. Because as you add muscle, your weight increases. So, the numbers don't mean that much.
Posted by: Jenice on March 1, 2004 12:35 PMOf course American women are getting fatter--just look around you, you don't have to be a doctor or fitness guru to tell. Fat around the middle is an early indicator of heart disease risk, so it's not just about aesthetics. I agree that "vanity sizing" is not a good idea. People shouldn't be made to feel bad about their weight in a personal way, but the health care system needs to start "cracking down" on the overweight and overfed to show them how healthy and how much better it feels to be a size 8 rather than a size 18.
Posted by: soyviz on March 1, 2004 01:52 PMI was with my college-aged daughter and friends this weekend and the conversation invariably fell to how many of their girlfriends are binging and purging. My kids don’t have this problem. However, there was a desperateness to how these young women were talking about this. Maybe by the time you are our age, fitting into your jeans is a good test. But these kids are so intense about each gram of weight.
On one hand, I feel helpless in this time when obesity is such a problem that Americans have simultaneously the problem of eating disorders.
And the other hand, I feel terrific that in middle age I have the good sense not to let a scale run my life and ruin my health. I’d love to hear from some young folks.
Posted by: Ellen on March 1, 2004 02:38 PMApril: I agree about sizing. Every store is different and it can drive you nuts. I am actually three different sizes, depending on which store I shop in.
Posted by: April on March 1, 2004 03:09 PMI do judge my weight more on my pants size than anything else. I don't know how much I weigh, and I don't care. I do care that I can't fit into the jeans I wore as little as a year ago, and the goal is to get back into them.... and maybe into the jeans I wore before that, too.
Posted by: Anna on March 2, 2004 06:33 AMI'm only 18. I'm most certainly overweight for my height and body frame. I'm ready to do the work to loose the weight, but in the meantime I would like to wear something that makes me look good for the size I AM until I get down to where I need to be. I don't like that every pair of jeans is low rise and stretch. I'm short and I have a big butt but not too much in the hips department so jeans either fall down or ride up my crotch. Then if I find a pair that fits around my curves a little better it isn't the right width in the legs or length or something. I don't understand why they can't make all the clothing lines more versatile. The size thing is just aggrivating. It does not help me. I get to the point where I get angry when I shop and then I buy absolutely nothing. What am I supposed to do walk around naked in my own home until I loose the weight to wear clothes that fit in public? I know a lot of girls and even a guy or two with eating disorders. I am very logical about the entire situation but even I sometimes consider getting an eating disorder even when I know what the risks are.
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