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Big boned: Not a reason to be overweight

Illustration - woman behind an x-ray screen showing her skeleton - is there such a thing as being big boned?
Being big boned means having wider bones. You can figure out if you’re big boned by measuring your wrist.

“I weigh more because I’m big boned.”

Dr. Brenda Banaszynski, a Marshfield Clinic Health System family medicine physician, said you can be big boned, but larger bone structure doesn’t account for much extra weight.

Big boned means wider bones

Some people have bigger bones, Banaszynski said. For example, their wrists and elbows appear larger and may not be able to wear standard-sized watches and bracelets.

Measure your wrist to find out if you’re really big boned, since “body frame size is determined by a person’s wrist circumference in relation to height,” according to the National Institutes of Health.

People with the following measurements are considered large boned:

Women

  • Less than 5 feet 2 inches tall and wrist size larger than 5.75 inches
  • 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall and wrist size larger than 6.25 inches
  • More than 5 feet 5 inches tall and wrist size larger than 6.5 inches

Men

  • More than 5 feet 5 inches tall and wrist size larger than 7.5 inches.

Big bones don’t mean (much) extra weight

“Larger bones might account for a few pounds of weight but not 30 or 40,” Banaszynski said. “It’s not going to be the difference between a healthy body mass index (BMI) and being overweight.”

In the medical field, there are science and evidence-based recommendations for BMI that are standard due to the risks associated with a higher BMI.

Some people might confuse bone size with bone density, which refers to the concentration of minerals in your bones. Like large bones, dense bones may add only a few pounds to your frame.

Focus on exercise and portion control for weight loss

“If your BMI is in the overweight or obese category, you probably need to make changes to be healthier regardless of the width or density of your bones,” Banaszynski said. “Being overweight or obese increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease.”

Banaszynski recommends talking to your primary care provider to find what lifestyle changes work best for you. Higher BMI is not something to feel shame or embarrassment around, it’s only a way for your provider to assess your health and help.

For questions about BMI, talk to a Marshfield Clinic Health System provider.

Schedule appointment Message your provider

34 responses to “Big boned: Not a reason to be overweight”

  1. carter

    andrew, i completly agree with you and how you say being fat is in fact a choice, but i urge you to be more open minded and to understand that not all people are phisically able to work out and lose the weight they have gained dew to the fact they are less able than you.

    Reply
  2. zoowee

    zooowee, i am 6'4 and i am in the prosses of my gender reassignment i was born a man and am obese.The world seems to be against me. I was heavily bullied for being overweight and more feminine than other males. I just want to let yall know no matter your size or gender you can do anything and you shouldn't listen to people hating on you because you are amazing and meant to be who you are.

    Reply
  3. Catheryn sucks

    Well catheryn you might as well gain some weight instead of looking like a big bag of bones add some more thickness so you actually look attractive. Remember extra weight isnt always a bad thing.

    Reply
  4. Catherine Schier

    I’m slightly underweight according to my BMI. I work out regularly and have defined abs and am in good shape… definitely under %15 body fat. I can’t understand the dissatisfaction of fat people. Losing weight is an extremely simple concept and is something you can control. I don’t feel bad for you at all. Exercising feels amazing…I can’t understand people who aren’t active I’d go crazy. My problem is so much worse…. I look much fatter than I am because I’m big boned… my rib cage and pelvis are MASSIVE. My pelvis is like a giant diaper of bone under my skin. So even when I weigh 106lbs at 5’7” I just have a “bigness” about my body no matter what I do. I fantasize about slicing off the sticky-outy parts of my pelvis and restrict my breathing so my rib cage doesn’t expand into a balloon of fatness. It’s terrible.

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Hoover

    I hate it when my grandma would say that woman needs to go on a diet. My dad tells me you're too wide for the chair. One time my complain to him about my pants are being because my legs rub together. I've been that way my whole life. I'm a swimmer who has a disability. I try to keep my weight at a level but covid happened. I didn't go out as much. Not even walks and I had to quit swimming. But I am trying to get better.

    Reply
  6. Hannah

    Mackenzie I agree. There are people who try so hard to lose weight but their bodies just have trouble letting go of the extra pounds. And there are people who can eat a ton of crap 24/7 and not gain an ounce. Each situation is different. And then of course there are different body types and compositions. Of course I am not looking at people who are 600 pounds and saying "maybe it's their body type", but even then they're a legitimate psychological issues that cannot so simply be dealt with. Telling someone with a severe weight problem to "just lose weight" is like telling someone with a drug or alcohol problem too "just stop drinking or taking drugs". Food addiction is real. In any case you cannot look at someone and just assume the worst case scenario and that they're a horrible person because of it.

    Reply
  7. Hannah

    Kara2002 your situation is so similar to mine! I I'm only 5'4 and have size 11 women's shoes, my feet and hands are larger than many people I know who are several inches taller than me. And I often weigh more than them as well. And I have always been broader and heavier than most people my height. Body composition really is overlooked but it's more important than is realized. Although I do have some weight to lose even for my frame, it's doubtful I could get down to my "ideal weight" to save my life. The old me might have said "heavy bones" but I think it's just body composition, a combination of larger bones and a larger build.

    Reply
  8. jacque

    BMI is crap. Body builders are not fat and most have high bmi numbers. If you are happy with yourself and healthy, forget weight, bmi and live your best life

    Reply
  9. Dee

    I am 5’6 and not overweight at all. I train 5 days a week. What brought me here is I’ve always had a larger frame and felt overweight even though I’ve never truly been. (I fluctuate between 140-150lbs on average) So I started wondering if maybe I just have large bones because how else can I look relatively thin but be so dense and heavy for my size. I’m what some might call solid. With clothes on I can look slim but naked I look thicker and I could never quite get down below 135lbs no matter how hard I trained or dieted down. So a google search brought me here and I guess it really is a thing! It’s actually a relief to know I have large bones. I’ve always suspected it looking at my calves which are super wide but don't appear to have a ton of body fat or muscle on them. But it’s a relief because I know I have to adjust my expectations for my weight loss goals. I’ll never healthily be 120 lbs and thats ok!

    Reply
  10. Ishmaelllll

    I find it very hard to eat a healthy diet, because I always stop being hungry before I've finished the thing that was supposed to be healthy for me. I find it so extremely hard to push through and eat more, is there any way I can slowly increase the amount I eat? Although I'm not underweight, I get sick very easily due to not having a very good diet. On the months I eat properly I manage pretty OK but the second I start eating less fruits and vegetables and healthy stuff I start getting sick often…It feels really unfair because everyone else, with reaaally terrible diets, even though they are often not even of a healthy weight (overweight), are getting less sick than me…Yet my body can't manage the same. And by less fruits and vegetables, I mean, not shoving in them whenever I can – I often make myself eat a bowl of fruit as a snack even if I don't really want to…At gatherings, I'm always the one who eats the least, at all-you-can-eat restaurants, my 'all i can eat' is rather low, and I gaze longingly at the plates of reaaally yummy food my stomach is hurting too much to try. I just want to be able to have my body at least work, because getting sick often due to finding it hard to eat is just terrible for my upcoming in a year exams, and if I fall sick during them them, I'm screwed.

    Reply
  11. Rosa

    Andrew shut it! So your telling me you know the bone density of the fat people you’ve seen?I didn’t think so! Stop tearing other people down!

    Reply
  12. Liliy

    Sick of people of who say “fat is a choice” or tell fat people their lazy. We live in a society that naturally favors thin over fat. Why? When will society start to change such things? Fat is not a bad thing so people should stop characterizing it as such. I’m sick of the beauty standers and Ideals that tell us what’s a good and bad weight. I struggled for eight months with an eating disorder (Anorexia) that could have killed me, all because of this way of society. Does that sound healthy to you? If this being fat will kill you phenomenon is nothing more than a beauty standard when will people start to realize that it’s just a concept! Beauty is nothing more than a concept and it is more than skin deep. Every 10 years there’s a body slandered people are expected to follow. A 100 years ago being fat was idolized for xyzed reasons. I mean honestly, just be whatever weight you are because if you come to know your beautiful than you will always be in trend. And your probably asking, “how does that relate to the fact that being fat can actually kill you!”. Well, can someone actually give me a list of people who have died from being overweight or obese?? The United States has a population of 328.2 million people and counting of which 42.8 percent is obese and 32.5 percent overweight. Don’t you think the population would be much less if the 75.3% of the population were randomly having heart attacks because of their weight? I mean seriously, I’m not sure if being fat is as dangerous as it’s hipped up to be, especially if their naturally bigger boned/endomorphs. And please don’t say that doesn’t exist because of your ignorance and lack of knowledge!! It’s disgusting how people try to tear each other down.

    Reply
  13. Dawn

    Anne – my idea of beauty is not me either. It takes work when one is not happy with their appearance. Not to be mean but it lies in our head and our sense of confidence in ourselves. Depending on your background it can be a lifelong struggle to approve of ones self. I was bulimic for over 20 years and at 62 still work at accepting myself and how I look on the outside. We are all ok, really, work to be healthy and fit. Wear clothes that flatter you and you like, and try to be good to yourself, treat yourself like your best friend… be kind to her

    Reply
  14. Dawn

    Andrew, I agree in general but , bone size is real. I’m 5’4” w a wrist measurement of 7”. My friend is same height as wit a wrist size of 5.25”. She has a much more slender frame than I do. We are both overweight. Also, if you have never had a weight (fat) problem it is hard to imagine why other people are overweight. And, yes, most of us are defensive about it. Because most people do not want to be overweight. I know some people who genetically are bigger people (plump) and people who are broader and big like Tongan people. It is a medical fact Tongans are the the broadest people. Just pointing these things out because even tho you believe it, everything is not black and white, there are in betweens!

    Reply
  15. Anne

    I'm trying to lose weight, but as I lose weight (which I'm thrilled about), I notice the shape of my body frame and it doesn't look flattering no matter how much weight I lose. Being overweight covered it up, but don't want to put on unhealthy unflattering pounds just to hide it.

    Reply
  16. EC

    MACKENZIE, I completely agree with you on your reply to ANDREW’s, fat-shaming post. It makes me so happy to see that there are so many well educated and well informed folks, like you, who comment on here.

    If ANDREW, here, can not even spell correctly ( its “ themselves” not “themselfs”…. are you in grade school?), then he has no business giving his polarizing advice on such a delicate topic! Perhaps, he’s just a troll?

    Reply
  17. Corey G.

    technically (in very very rare cases) a natural genetic modification on the same gene that causes osteoperosis can cause extreme bone density and therefore weight otherwise though its diet and exercise – expend more calories than you intake (at a healthy rate, no superslim in 6 weeks diets, those can really hurt you) possibly an overactive thyroid can contribute between 5 and 10 pounds.

    Reply
  18. Mackenzie

    Andrew, I disagree. Larger people can still be healthy. I feel that you are misinformed, and tbh, I’m a little offended by your comment. Yes, people can and do gain weight from inactivity or poor diet, but I refuse to believe that that is the only instance in which people are overweight.

    Reply
  19. Kandiss L

    J , I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE. I know some techniques that can make your ankles appear slender or smaller, how much I want to say just be comfortable in your own skin and love your body can be hard . We think oh " if only I could have a tummy tuck " or " breast implants " , I would be so much happier , thats just a temporary fix . We have to love ourselves withing and be happy. I know its easier said than done. I hope you feel better and wish we had more uplifting women each other

    Reply
  20. Kandiss L

    To Annie hope you get to your goal and lose the 50 lbs , its a lifestyle and can be challenging. I am in the same boat and getting older, I suppose its time for me as well to start a better and healthier lifestyle. I'm rooting for you Annie!!

    Reply
  21. J

    I have always thought I was big boned as I just didnt have the slender ladylike frame other women have. I am 5'3 and my wrist measures 6.75 inches. I wear size 3 pants but I still hate the way I look. I cant even pull off flip flops like literally every other woman and man because my ankles look thick compared to my foot length. My shoulders are also on the bulky side. No, not wide. Just bulky. Hard to wear feminine clothes with their wide collars with that going on. The worst is it's hard to put your finger on what's different when you're not big. You just look odd and don't know why. It bothers me so much I looked it up and found this article.

    Reply
  22. Gramajane

    I am 72 year old great grandmother of 5'5" with shoe size 11 1/2 and wrist measurement 7 1/2 and I presently weigh 186 which has me barely in the obese area. I look best these years at 165 though that on the charts says I am still over weight but at that weight I have no muffin top but only saggy skin on my upper arms! There is such a thing as amount of muscle, big bones and age effecting optimal weight !

    Reply
  23. Christina Whitten

    Im not over weight, I have large frame, I'm wear about a size 9 women. But I do weight more than I did when younger. My frame was much smaller, but using my body, working, exercise and etc. I have changed.

    Reply
    1. Kara2002

      I’m 5’3 and have an 8” wrist. This is considered large even for men who are over 6”0. So when people say large frames arent real they forget there are always outliers like me. My friend adds at least 15 pounds to my weight. I’ve proven it time and time again because I had friends that I weighed more but I was smaller in the size I wore. My friend didn’t believe me when I told her how much I weigh because I was three sizes smaller than her but sure enough I weigh 20 pounds more than her and I was shorter than her. There’s no other explanation for that other than my extremely large frame.

      Reply
      1. Bonbon99

        I totally agree with this Kara2002. Most of the time people say that “big boned” is a euphemism for being fat or it’s just a weird myth. But it’s actually true. I consider myself big boned. When I was in grade school, I was one of the smallest person in the class and we had to weigh in at the nurses' clinic. The nurses were shock that I weighed totally higher than what I actually look and higher than some of my taller classmates. They weighed me again but it showed the same result. Since then, I knew that I was big boned so I'm often overweight. Sometimes when my weight is normal, my friends tell me that I'm so so thin and boney. They tell me that it doesn't suit me well and to go back at my usual weight (overweight) which I totally agree. But a lot of people doesn't get this and I hope someday that there will be proof that "big boned" is a real thing and it totally adds weight.

  24. Hannah

    Hi. I can understand how "bigger bones" in themselves wouldn't have a high influence on weight. However, people could still have naturally wider frames due to how their built; not so much "big boned" as just having naturally larger bodies. Just as there are people with very tall, slender frames who might be "underweight" on the charts when they really aren't; who's to say someone with a naturally stocky build wouldn't experience a unique situation themself, and yet the term "overweight" is tacked onto them even with a healthy lifestyle. If bones can't "dictate" weight, who is to say height alone does, and why aren't we calling very slender people underweight while we're at it (not that they are). Weight is a very complex situation induced by many factors that is way simplified and treated with ignorance in the medical industry.

    Reply
    1. Andrew

      Being fat is a choice there is no such thing as wider frame because I've seen it for a fact that fat people are fat because they did it to themselfs

      Reply
      1. Fiona

        So thyroid and hormonal problems can’t be factors in being “fat”, according to your statement, Andrew? Not everything can be controlled. Metabolism can’t be controlled, either. “Fat” people can have the same lifestyle as someone 50 pounds less than them, and “skinny”, and stay the same weight their whole adult life. I feel as if your a very judgmental person, so maybe instead of judging someone (especially women) and basing their value on their weight, show kindness and actually get to know them. Also it’s “themselves” not themselfs.

      2. Domanique

        Not true there's medical conditions that causes weight gain. Everybody always think it's because someone is lazy or the eat too much not always the case.

      3. Dr.Pepper

        To all the people people responding to Andrew a majority of the time there’s neglect or bad management of said persons body which allows this weight gain due to hormones or thyroid problems. It’s not really happening to a lot of people who work out consistently and receive necessary vitamins and calories

      4. Dr.Pepper

        Fiona I was reading your comment and you were making a lot of assumptions one of which you claimed he was especially judging of women and he said no such thing. Yes you can have the same lifestyle as an underweight person but some people just have different “rules” their body plays by. Further more we live more sedentary lifestyles than our ancestors and that’s just a fact. correcting people for their spelling just to state they are stupid is a low blow obviously you understood what Andrew meant so leave it alone. It doesn’t make you smarter it makes you seem arrogant

      5. Annie

        Some of my friends are taking medication and gained a lot of weight and others lost some also because of meds. It's not always a choice … but yes, most of the time it is. I have 50 lbs to lose and I completely know that it's because I don't eat well nor exercise enough, but I'm getting there.

    2. Kevin Whiting

      Hannah, I’m in agreement. Technically my BMI suggests that 12stone 5lb is my correct weight, I’m 65, and 5’10”. Amusingly two historic personal facts allow me to empathise and laugh at that figure. When I was last that weight, I was 12, in 1967, I was always the biggest boy in class, I played sport, life wasn’t spent behind a TV my mother was a school cook (I went hungry if I didn’t eat the meal), I wasn’t fat. Secondly in 2013 I got and survived cancer but has complications that resulted in an induced coma of 4 weeks, I was overweight but lost 4.6 stone came out of hospital at 13stone 5lb and looked like a skeleton. My father, my uncles, cousins were all big men. I feel it’s to simplistic and easy as everything is today (labelling). Genetics, family upbringing, and diet must be relevant in judging. Today, I’m medically obese, I’m 15 stone 9lb but eat healthily yet enjoy life, don’t smoke, walk, play golf. Education starts at home and in school, the responsibility and education also lies with food manufacturers and supermarkets. But parent's allowing their kids to dictate what meals they eat.whats happened in 45 years. My heart bleeds for the future of the NHS.

      Reply
      1. Dr.Pepper

        So I’m confused your saying BMI tests are wrong but your medically overweight that doesn’t make sense. Yes if your very muscular or have a lot of muscle mass obviously the test will be wrong but the test is designed for the average man or woman that’s why the better BMI tests will have you take measurements of your body. You also can see a doctor to get cleared if you are muscular but go over the limit. But again this isn’t a majority
        And I hope your doing all right I know cancers hard to go through

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