Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health 
This is model Katie H. Willcox. She's 5'9" and 165lbs, which puts her BMI index at 24.4. According to that she is just barely within the normal weight range, but still within the normal range. She's not obese, she's not overweight, she's normal. And that doesn't even take into account her pretty nose to the grindstone work out regime, which, if you know anything about BMI, means that it's quite likely she is well within a healthy body fat percentage because of added muscle weight throwing the BMI out. 
This is yet another model named Katie Green. She's 5'10" and a US size 10. Sure she's bigger than your average model, but she's not even plus size, and slightly smaller than your average woman. Factoring in her height and clothing size, her BMI is probably lower than Katie H. She is still well within what is scientifically considered a normal, healthy size.
This last woman, pictured here (sorry for the link guys the image wasn't the right size or something) is Heidi Ricketson at 5'4" and 150lbs, she does figure competitions. This is her "before" photo where she has bulked on the muscle but hasn't crash dieted the fat off yet. Based on BMI she is slightly in the overweight range but considering she is a body builder this is less applicable. I will consider her, as the other 2, just inside of the normal weight range.
I have chosen 3 very fit, healthy, active and diet concious women who represent the average size of a woman in the US, about a size 12. The models are taller, of course, and well models and the average woman is also not a body builder. But the average woman does sit on the line between being considered normal vs overweight. There really is no health risk associated with this size of a person, especially if the person is like any pictured above, where they keep in good shape, eat well, and have a lot of lean muscle mass.
The GaG Polling
So I asked if these women were skinny (link to GaG question), not expecting anyone to actually agree, but to see how our descriptions of size actually compare to relatively average, relatively healthy size.
It turns out, not terrible lol. Roughly 30% considered one or more of them to be skinny, and 7% considered them to all be fat. The majority of people (55%) considered them not skinny, but did not choose to label them all as fat although the option was there. (Poll percentages are so far as the question is still open).
In the comments while many people did describe them as normal, healthy, and average, some people described them as fat and out of shape.The impression I got from most of the comments was that all of these women were walking a fine invisible line between just right and totally fat and undesirable. The line between normal and overweight. While there were a handful that considered them already past that line only two bothered to comment to the effect that they actually were skinny.
My Two Cents
While I was pleasantly surprised by the actual results, which support that despite media images the preference is still for realistic looking women and most people have a decent sense of what that is, I am still a little disapointed. Not in anything I can really pinpoint, just disapointed. I guess it's better than nothing that our society, or at least our little GaG community, mostly has realistic expectations of womens bodies.
What Girls & Guys Said
30 58no wonder why the birth rate is falling. women suffer from fork and mouth disease.
Which is kind of like the disease you suffer from.
lol will you marry me. i like your moxie
lol a million times further from the reaction I was expecting to that.
thats why you love me. say yes.
Yeah i dont like Stick Figure girls. Usually when i see one i have to fight the urge to buy them a sandwich.
I don't know about others, but I'm almost 28 years old and I still have a very decent body shape. I take care of myself, I don't have addictions other than coffee, I exercise regularly and I sort of watch for my diet (mainly avoid sugars, at least). I prefer to date girls who are in good/decent shape.
Does it mean I expect girls to be Hawaian Tropic models? Lol no, of course not. But I wouldn't date a girl that doesn't take care of her figure/health.
Average is fine by me, but these women aren't average, they are very chunky/chubby, and I just can't be attracted to that. Then again, that's my preference and you shouldn't expect all guys to have the same exact perception as you.
See I'm not really feeling you here because when I said average, I meant like average based on statistical data which supports that it actually is the average... I don't really know how there can be differing opinions on what that is. Also, all of these women are in good shape by the standard that they exercise and eat well... If you mean do I think everyone should just like this body type? No, everyone will have their own personal preference, but it doesn't hurt anyones brain to know that this is healthy (medically considered healthy) too right?
I do not live in the US currently, so I don't know how things currently are there. But I can assure you that, where I live currently, and other countries I have been, that is certainly not the average. You should visit Argentina, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, or Venezuela to realize girls are much, much healthier and slim in said countries. Again, I'm not saying you are wrong, since the statistics for average may defer on the US. That average however, I guarantee doesn't apply everywhere and it's something I wouldn't find attractive at all.
Just noticed you're from Canada... but still, my opinion stands.
Yeah I was working with US average, but I stated that explictly in the Take, so I was getting sick of repeating myself. My argument is very context based. Other women from other countries, esp the ones you listed, generally are smaller. They're smaller people in general really though. Not just a fat or not fat thing. Your point is totally valid. I would argue though that their being slimmer does not in and of itself make them healthier though. While obesity is probably more of a problem in the US than a place like that, a person of the size like those I posted in this take is pretty normal and healthy for a western european ethnicity. So basically this is a healthy normal size for a white woman lol. I didn't even really notice I had done that xD It wasn't really my intention to exclude others, I was just only concerned with adressing this body type because people seem to have the most misunderstandings about it.
I have a big booty that I love so I guess I'm gonna be fat forever lol. Wait, 'scuse me, PHAT. Lol. I have a matching chubby tummy to match but it doesn't bother me. Phat!
Yeah... um I work my arse off at the gym. She needs to be the same or else shit ain't gonna work.
That's totally up to you, if you want someone who shares the same lifestyle that just makes sense.
Why does it matter if they are seen as fat?
Also, being on the edge of overweight doesn't necessarily make you totally normal. BMI 21-22 would be normal.
No being in the normal range makes you normal, it just isn't considered ideal BMI. And BMI doesn't take into account musculature and frame, it's just a rule of thumb for professionals to go by. I think because of the size and muscle these women have they are probably roughly ideal but I am stretching to say that in particular as I am not a health care professional. But neither are you.
But why would it matter? What's your point?
My point is that a lot of people have a very poor understanding of what sizes are healthy or not, mainly when it comes to women and fat. These women are a healthy size, and if you don't see it as a healthy size, you need to re-evaluate what you are considering to be healthy. I'm not saying people who are smaller are not healthy as well, its just that we overlook this size especially when we are considering the range of healthy sizes.
Well, I don't know about girls thoughts, but in my opinion guys aren't really thinking about these bodies in terms of healthy/fat. Let's say they considered one of these pics unhealthy, what would that change?
If it's one person, nothing, but if its a lot of people, it makes a big difference. Who wants to live in a society that has no clue? It influences all kinds of body image disorders for women. I know I can't force people to see it like this, but I can put it out there for people to see lol.
But body image disorders are about attractive and unattractive, not healthy and fat, and that's my point.
mmm somewhat they aren't totally mutually exclusive, at least not to pretty much everyone who responded to this take lol. if people feel less justified to critisize a certain size though that helps in a fairly obvious way?
They're related yes, but it's sort of like talking about unattractive skin conditions that, while not necessarily unhealthy, are still unattractive. While it's somewhat relevant you're not really tackling the issue properly in my opinion. Perhaps people have less ammo to criticize with but again, they're not really judging on a health scale. They're judging based on if they find the person attractive or if others will find that person attractive. When you criticize someone on their size by saying they're fat, you're not saying they're unhealthy so much as you're saying that they're unattractive and that nobody wants them.
I think mainly a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that what is ideally attractive is also ideally healthy, but this is pretty unsubstanciated. A perfectly ideal BMI is someone like Sophia Vergara or Beyonce, anything smaller leans towards the edge of underweight. A lot of people look at people who are barely normal weight and mildly underweight as being most attractive (and the pinnacle of health) in society when they're actually likely to suffer from a long list of negative health side effects similar to that which we associate with obesity. I guess what I'm saying about it is that it's totally sick that this is the body image we're idealizing and while I can't expressly make someone feel differently about what is attractive I can contribute to an environment where people better understand what is going on.
I don't think slightly underweight has as many issues as overweight. Like you said, it's a rule of thumb. There are people who naturally land at lower BMI and can be verifiably considered healthy. Look at it from an evolutionary perspective, perhaps there's good reason the ideal body in terms of attractiveness might be one that naturally sits at a lower BMI. Lower BMI reduces the risk of blocked labour and death among first time mothers. This is a big deal, although the advent of C-sections has reduced these risks a lot. Everywhere in the world and throughout history men find the same ratio attractive. We're evolved to like a certain hip to waist ratio, and lower BMI correlates with younger age and small waists, which means fewer instances of blocked labour and (pre) eclampsia.
So makes sense that guys would go for a lowish BMI girl when looking to start a family. After that pair bond has been established and first child is born then women will naturally rise in BMI, ideally BMI ~23. This is good for later children. Basically guys should look for a hot young skinny bitch, get her preggers, then fatten her up bit to about BMI ~23 - if it doesn't happen naturally. Although we can go straight for BMI 23 without as many issues now thanks to modern medicine, there's an evolutionary basis for why these preferences exist so I don't think it's fair to call it sick.
"Toronto researchers who analyzed 51 studies on the links between body mass index and death from any cause found an underweight BMI is associated with the highest risk of premature death. " o.Canada.com/.../skinniness-no-survival-advantage-study-finds-underweight-at-highest-risk-of-early-death
Think again.
"Malnourishment, heavy alcohol or drug use, smoking and mental illness are common causes of underweight." -Do they have health problems because they are underweight or are they underweight because they have health problems? "Most of the studies in the analysis involved middle- to late-middle-age adults." -Not the age group I'm talking about. But even so, I have no problem giving that one to you. There's things we could look into about that research but it doesn't really matter, you can have it anyway. None of it really interacts with my evolutionary argument and being attractive, etc. So that point stands.
The same argument can be said of overwieght though. Most people who are obese eat poor nutrition, and rarely get enough physical activity. There is no irrefutable evidence that it's a direct cause and effect relationship. And as far as your more attractive argument goes, there are cultures who think long thin necks are attractive, we thought corsetted bodies were most attractive, tiny feet (nevermind that these things cause deformities which impeded the health and mobility of people). Thin is far from the only body type which has been considered beautiful. Greeks and romans idealized a full figured body with small breasts, in the karma sutra it describes the fat folds which are ideal for a womans belly, in other cultures around the world that exist right now it is ideal for a woman to be as fat as possible. Culture has a huge influence on the body type which is considered most beautiful it isn't just an evolutionary process. Besides, what real advantage does thin have?
So there's no irrefutable evidence that obseity has a direct cause and effect relationhsip with being unhealthy but there is for underweight? Yes, cultures have influence and come in all sorts, this is the variety of life that lets us evolve. But if we find a behavior is rooted in biology then culture isn't coming into it. Really what I think it all links back to is an attraction to certain hip to waist ratio, which is so widespread that saying it's culture is just shy of saying being attracted to females is culture. The real advantage is having mothers and children not die when trying to propagate our species. That's kind of a big deal.
The underweight is slightly more relevant because if you don't have weight then it isn't muscle or fat it's just not there. You pointed out from a study I linked to that there were other factors in an underweight person being unhealthy where the cause of being underweight can cause the health risks I don't deny that. Maybe an underweight person is just that way because they are one of the few who can't gain weight, and that person is probably just fine. As a tool for observing a general health trend statistical analysis of BMI is great, but as a tool for assessing individuals it fails miserably. At a certain indeterminate point probably well into obesity, the obesity is absolutely caused by abhorrent health habits so obviously they have a great likelihood of diabetes, etc. It really doesn't mean that someone on the cusp of overweight is unhealthy though. I know about the waist hip ratio thing. You also need fat on your hips and thighs to nourish a fetus and create the ratio.
I never said overweight people are necessarily 'unhealthy.' I said why does it matter if they are seen as overweight? Point being, you asked people if they though those women were skinny, not if they were attractive, which is probably more important if what really wanted to talk about was body image. I wouldn't say these women are fat (unhealthy)... so what? Doesn't make them attractive. If specifically health is what girls with body issues cared about then they'd talk to a doctor and/or crunch the numbers online, not care about what other women look like. I really don't think it matters if they are seen as unhealthy because I believe that's not the terms people are thinking in. Overweight women can have the ratio as well but it correlates more to a lower BMI. I covered the need for fat as well, my point stands.
People on G@G are weird. They think perfectly healthy people are fat, which is just outrageous. I did one of these experiments too and people called the women fat. It just makes me hate myself more because I am like a US size 12, but I am striving to be around a 10, but then I will still be fat to them which is dumb.
TL;DR I'm too lazy to take the little effort of taking a better care of myself so here I'm attempting to twist established definitions to better fit my insecurities.
I'm 5'5", 140lbs, I eat almost exclusively whole foods, I walk about 2km daily and do yoga. I'm usually doing physical labor typer jobs. I can deadlift 200lbs, if it means anything to you. I am reaching a little bit with this post admittedly, but I think I make solid points and twist one established definition one time. Mainly to make the point that those using the established definitions are already doing that all time, ei: obesity, anyone BMI 30+ is often lumped into the same group to support that obesity comes with a high risk of health problems, well realistically is someone with a BMI of 50 going to have the same problems as someone with a BMI of 30, and I think that the answer is a resounding no. Nvm that a lot of studies support that the overweight category might actually be the healthiest overall and should be considered the normal, and then we have the infinite stupid that is assuming that every race age and sex is going to be healthiest at the same size.
i'll never get this. Guys continue to get chastised by women for being more attracted to skinnier women, but women are allowed to continue to have all of their own standards when it comes to what men look like, his height being a fine example. Seriously though, why are you disappointed? I mean, if i came up to a woman who said she preferred tall men (which seem to be most women) and said i was disappointed in her choice, she'd tell me to fuck off. It's not really up to women to determine what men should find attractive anymore than it is up to men to decide what women should find attractive
Mm you're kinda putting all kinds of words in my mouth here, but I'll bite. I wasn't chastising anyone. If anything I'm agravated at how healthy is being constantly misrepresented as a singular smaller than most people can even healthily be size. People are going to be attracted to whatever they're attracted to. That's life.
i don't believe health is the main driver of why the media pushes a particular body frame. That may be used as a window dressing excuse every now and then, but its by and large done because skinny = attractive. Guys voting on your poll were likely voting for which women's body they found overall most attractive. If health was a factor at all, it was likely a secondary one.
As far as media is concerned I think it's kind of reverse cause and effect there but I see what you're saying. I wasn't concerning myself with media here though so much as society's outlook BECAUSE of media. Even I take the argument that thinner is more attractive at face value, if this is the actual average, and not the average you see on screen, then as a woman the market you think you have to compete with and the one that really exists are completely different because most people aren't nearly that small, it might be nice to know that once in a while. Obviously when people voted on the poll what they were attracted to and not would affect how they viewed the women to a degree, but a person can still have a preference for one size and an understanding that a certain other size is normal or healthy, no? My poll was about perception of this size, not the attractiveness of any given size or what size was most attractive.
*Even if I
hm fair enough then
These types of takes are only rants and lectures to guys/girls about how we should be less judgmental of a woman's body.
Just because she's the "normal healthy average woman" doesn't mean women should strive to be like her. The average woman is still unhealthy and slightly overweight.
More that we should strive to be healthy and not a particular size at all but I did want a shock and awe value to the Take.
Shock and awe? No, I've seen women like here on the "How do I look section" before.
Healthy and hot.
they look just right
YOU are being a bit judgmental; there are a lot of women who are naturally much thinner than this.
Wow I had no idea.
And she's attractive as she is to me, I'll take slightly overweight as well, just not obesity.
If that is "normal" where you live I feel sad for you, but then again America has an overweight problem.
The girls in the pictures are fat, there is no denying that fact. There is no absolute measuring method of who is fat, because you can't tell someone that weighs 99 kg that they are "normal" and then tell a 100 kg person they are fat, just because their BMI is 0.1 points higher. If their body fat % is as high as in these pictures, they are fat, fact. Doesn't matter what an outdated method like bmi says.
Body fat percentage is relevant as well, I'm going to play devils advocate and say that these women all have a healthy body fat percentage around 10%-12%. I think that their relatively high BMI is irrelevant for the opposite reason, that they have large frames and a lot of musculature, meaning they are closer to ideal sizes for their frames than BMI would indicate.
Hahahahahahahaha 10-12%? There is no way even the bikini model competitors would get that low, and they are only muscles and bones... Healthy women are around 17-25%, but the standard today is probably close to 30% Those women you are referring to however are already far over 30% , which is neither good looking or healthy...
Yeah im not sure what kind of cracked out site I got that number from, but anyways, my point still stands that they're within an average or fit percentage about 25%.
Read the first few sentences and gave up at "According to that she is just barely within the normal weight range" so the title of this post got me thinking and i thought id fix it for you
"This Is What A Barely Normal , Barely Healthy , Barely Average Female Body Looks Like"
:)
Normal, as within normal BMI range but probably more or less normal because she's large framed and quite muscular. She is healthy because she excercises regularly and eats well, she is average because most women are granted not as tall, but are her dress size. You are however what a barely tolerable opinion poster looks like, so thanks for the suggestion but I feel I chose a more than appropriate title.
can't say your not wrong but i was just being abit of a asshole cos its the internet y not but ill be serious after some googling i found out that katie green lives in the uk and I don't know how accurate but in 2014 62% of the adults in the uk were overweight soill take your word with her being barely not overweight and tell you she's not normal because she's not overweight strange times we live in eh?
I love the normal, average, healthy body on a woman. Looks so much better than slim/skinny figures.
I think guys are way too fucking superficial and picky. You guys make me sick. "She's ugly", "she's not attractive", "she's fat"... Go make sure you're PERFECT before you demand to be with a perfect woman. Smdh!!😡
Here, here. Well said. :)
@Shorty1991 lol shawwwwwtyyyyy
How's it gawin lanky Yankee?
@Shorty1991 lol good. Just messin around on this fuckery
Aye I've been messin aboot nearly aw f**kin day oan here, ye see. Lol
@Shorty1991 lol same. I haven't accomplished anything meaningful today😂😂
I love you lol
@RainbowFanGirl lol
Where i live she would be considered overweight, nothing to be ashamed of obviously, yet i dont find her physically attractive
That is definitely not average in san francisco