A Size Conspiracy?

Last week I wrote about weight gain not simply being a part of aging, but how it could have a lot to do with our emotions and the accumulation of pains over the years. Now I want to present another alternative explanation to the idea that our bodies are expanding. Maybe we aren’t gaining weight after all.

I tried on some blazers in one of my favorite stores last week and was dismayed to find none in my size fit me. I couldn’t get my arms in the sleeves or if I could, I couldn’t move my shoulders or put my hands out in front of me. I picked up the next larger size, and managed to fit my arms into the sleeves, but I couldn’t bend my elbows. I gave up.

It’s not just jackets that no longer fit. When I bought new underwear recently, I picked up the same brand, same cut, and same size that I have worn for the past 30 years. After washing them, it was difficult to pull them on and once I had squeezed into them, they cut off the circulation in my thighs. Out of curiosity, I laid out a pair of my old ones and placed a new pair on top. The new panties were a full inch narrower even though they were labeled the same size!

What is the clothing industry doing? When did a size 14 turn into a size 10? Is this about economics and they’re trying to save on material costs? Do they not know how women’s bodies are shaped? Or—as my friend put it—are they messin’ with our heads? I can still fit just fine into my old clothes, so there’s something fishy going on with what’s being made today.

And it’s not just clothes that are shrinking. I don’t know about you, but when I used to buy toilet paper, the roll was as wide as the toilet paper rod. Now packages claim that there’s more on each roll. But each roll is much less wide than they used to be. There’s now at least one-and-a-quarter inches of space between the roll and the end of the toilet paper rod. I expect toilet paper may one day shrink down to a mere ribbon.

So before you panic about putting on weight, consider this. Maybe it’s not you that’s changing, but the things you buy. Too bad the prices don’t shrink at the same time!