"Fat" IMO is when your bone structure is poorly defined (can't see your ribs at all when you suck in, same for hip bones, double/poorly defined chin due to excess fat, no collarbones visible) and your true shape is obscured.

For me--I see fat at being when I am a size 10 and up.

I see myself as fat when I am over 149 lbs. I am 5'8, and 156, so I currently see myself as fat, and it really causes issues with self esteem

Unfortunately, the medical, insurance and diet communities/businesses have slapped us with a set of charts, that are only an average, and in the long run don't mean diddly squat.

Add in that as a nation we have, mostly, but not all, gotten heavier, I think our views are skewed.

Then there is the lady I know who has a reasonable weight by the charts, but is so weak, she can barely carry a gallon of milk.

Then, their is my son, who is way fit and a muscular guy. State trooper, DOT carrier enforcement officer and SWAT sniper. At 5'11" and 185 the charts say he's fat. There is not an ounce of fat on his body.

He works out all the time and eats well. He is just built like a brick s**thouse!

His twin brother is built different, a bit longer and lankier, but is still strong as an ox.

I think it's all relative. I'm 5'5" weigh 136-138 on any given day. I have great arms and legs. I work out. The tummy, well after having twins that weighed over 6 pounds each, without surgery, it's always gonna bulge a bit, and I have big *girls*, genes!

As long as you are doing the best you can with what God gave you! Good for you! It would be really boring if we were all alike!

This is exactly the way I feel about the world. Everyone is unique and that's the way it should be...that's what makes it harmonious and beautiful. How can you learn anything from 300 million clones that are exactly like you? What a boring world that would be.

I feel the exact same way, sadly. I obsess about losing 15 pounds ALL. THE. TIME. yet I see women my size in the street and think they look fine.

Common facebook answers were: "when you're in the double digits" "size 12" and "size 22".

I really appreciate how on 3FC there is more of a focus on health than size, although size, body image, self esteem and health are interrelated.

geez, me too!!

I consider myself 'fat' when I can't wear my size 8 jeans comfortably; when I am aware of my upper arm fat all the time; when my tummy looks a little doughy and not flat.

Obviously it depends on somatotype and height but the waist, breasts and arms are among the first things I look to judge whether someone is fat or not..

Love this answer.

Clothing size references make no sense to me. So I'm good with a size 10? Is that a 2012 size 10 even though that would have been a 14 in 1982? Would I have felt fat as a 1982 size 14 but I'm perfectly good now?

At my height and weight, I'd be seen as stick thin in some states (I'm looking at you Mississippi), but in Colorado I'd be just about average. So subjective that it's meaningless.

But your true shape obscured by too much weight? That is a reality that has nothing to do with clothing or the subjective judgments of others.

I think in the USA that we have a really warped view of what is a healthy body weight, to the extent that we look at someone who is overweight and see them as normal, and someone who is actually at their optimal BMI and think of them as having an eating disorder. I know I have a terrible issue with seeing myself accurately in a mirror. When I see myself in a mirror I see myself as not being fat. Except I am. I am still clinically obese. I see it much easier in photos.

!!!
Isn't that insane?

I guess for me, fat is a state of mind. For me, I've never been 'fat' even when people looked at me and probably said "Wow, she's fat." I never, ever let my weight dictate what I do. If I think I look good in something and it covers me properly, I'm gonna wear it! For me, fat is when you give up on yourself. When you say "screw it. i'm done trying" before you're where you want to be.

I have quite a strong opinion on this I guess, as I'm of the opinion that due to the increase in obesity and general overweight population, we've lost sight of what fat/overweight is.

I think if you've got obvious fat pooches, even if you're technically barely overweight, it's a sign you should probably look to become healthier and more active. After all it's probably only going to become worse with time.

I'm probably going to sound like a weight fanatic now, I really don't meant to sound like one though. I'm not going to lie to myself that I'm not fat because I'm a normal BMI. I have visible excess fat on my hips and thighs which is there because I've eaten too much candy.

Personally for me I'm definitely not overweight or full on fat now, but I do have excess fat.

My definition of "fat" has varied with each "diet" I've been on. At first I was over 145 lbs and felt fat, and got down to 135 and felt great. Then I got down to 130 and thought anything over that was fat. Then I got down to 124 and i feel fat not being at that weight. I think anything greater than the smallest point I've been makes me feel fat, which I know is not realistic or true for anybody.. just how I feel

I had a similar situation. One day my husband accidentally wore my jeans to work. Mine are boot cut and his are straight leg and he wondered why they were so baggy legged, but otherwise, they fit him. I thought it was funny, and I mentioned it to a woman at work and she said "If my husband could fit into my jeans I'd kill myself." I thought that was pretty harsh! Kill herself? Was she implying that I should kill myself? I'm not happy about it, but I'm trying to do something about it, not killing myself!

Fat for me on me is when my double chin starts to creep back, when my flat tummy isn't so fat anymore. These are things I've seen change for the better and now use as indicators to show I'm gaining again.

My other fat indicators are my upper arms being flabby and huge and my legs being disproportionately large for my torso and lacking definition, especially my stumpy knees and flabby thighs. Now, these things I've yet to see put right, and I've no idea if I ever will. But having legs and upper arms I'm happy with will mean far far more to me than the number on the scales, and also give me great motivation to make exercise a huge part of my life, no matter what my weight.

I'm with most other people that these are only my indicators, and are flaws that I would likely never notice on others.