Duchess of Cambridge

There's a photo of her in the Times today and her face looks thin, but I think it's normal to lose facial fat between your 20's and 30's.

I had been thinking she looked unwell and wondered if the pressure of Royal life was getting to her.

She hasn't been out much recently.

I think it's outrageous to even ask the question and it's an example of how this kind of scrutiny of women's bodies contributes to eating disorders and general overpreoccupation with how we look. So what if she is on the thin side - it's who she is and what she does that should define her, not whether she happens to be slimmer than the average (mostly overweight) female.

I think it's outrageous to even ask the question and it's an example of how this kind of scrutiny of women's bodies contributes to eating disorders and general overpreoccupation with how we look. So what if she is on the thin side - it's who she is and what she does that should define her, not whether she happens to be slimmer than the average (mostly overweight) female.

I think it's outrageous to even ask the question and it's an example of how this kind of scrutiny of women's bodies contributes to eating disorders and general overpreoccupation with how we look. So what if she is on the thin side - it's who she is and what she does that should define her, not whether she happens to be slimmer than the average (mostly overweight) female.

I think it's outrageous to even ask the question and it's an example of how this kind of scrutiny of women's bodies contributes to eating disorders and general overpreoccupation with how we look. So what if she is on the thin side - it's who she is and what she does that should define her, not whether she happens to be slimmer than the average (mostly overweight) female.

I think we've got the message purple

Where are you all seeing these photos of her looking ill? There have been lots this week online, of her at least four public functions that she has attended this week, and she looks happy, and well, her hair is shiny and healthy looking and apart from the ghastly pale blue nighty dress, she has looked good.

I agree with Iam64

People have become too used to seeing overweight people. I was between 8 and a half and 9 stone until my late 40s (menopause, grrrr) and was often told I was too skinny. In fact, I was well in the 'Healthy' range. I'm afraid a size 14 or 16 for a woman of average height often means they are overweight. Sorry, has to be said.

What she does, as far as we're concerned, is appear in public a great deal wearing lots of different clothes and looking thin.

I don't think what other people say causes the psychological problems that result in eating disorders.

I don't think it's at all outrageous to ask the question, she is a very public figure after all, and look what happened to Diana.

I though she looked very well in the photographs in the paper this morning. She may be slim but remember her photos from her university days, she was slim then.

If she's slim and happy and healthy that's good and there isn't a problem.

There isn't a problem if someone, or several ones, think she looks thin either.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a more rubenesque consort for a while - make the more "cuddly" figure fashionable? ??

Well, we did have Fergie for a while, but look at the flak she got about her weight!

Zara didn't seem at all bothered about losing her baby weight which was a refreshing change but no doubt she's now working hard to get fit for next year's Olympics.

We have all become too used to seeing chunkier people - including me. I'm always amazed when I see uniformed people at dances during the war, when everyone was slender. I went to a "heritage" event at the weekend, where there were clothes on sale from the forties to the seventies - and all far smaller than most people would be able to wear now.

How right you are, suzieq. And the retailers have just upped their sizes over the years, so we can kid ourselves we're still slim. At 10 stone, I can still fit into a size 10. Yet that's what I wore when I was under 8 stone!

As a slim person, I do get fed up of people commenting on my weight and wonder if they would do so if I weighed twice as much. I think it is rude to comment on anyone's weight. It isn't anyone else's business and I don't believe the fake concern for ones health either. It often seems that people who are overweight have a lot more health issues than their slimmer counterparts.

The Duchess looks lovely, IMO, and I feel for her the way she is criticized for everything.

There are reports in the press of celebrities having tiny waists - 'and her waist is only 23"' for example as if they are anorexic. A 22" waist was quite normal for young women years ago as far as I remember.

Now a size 12 in, say, Reiss, is 37.5 bust, 30.2 waist and 40.7 hip (where's my nearest branch?). In M&S it's 35.9" x 29.1" x 39" and Top Shop is 36.2" x 29.2" x 38".

I'm afraid a size 14 or 16 for a woman of average height often means they are overweight. Sorry, has to be said.
Yeah, yeah, we know that chatykathy no need to remind us

I don't get the "tiny waist" thing either. I used to be a 24" waist- not all that long ago either-and it was the norm. I wasn't remotely skinny!

Yes, mine was about 24" and I thought I was fat compared to some of my friends (who must have been a size 8 or 10)

Kate went down to a stick insect size very soon after having her babies. I think she works out with a trainer a lot to get back to such a small size. Also, she must eat very little to maintain that size. I think she'd look a lot better with a bit of meat on her . . . and that's not sour grapes 'cos I'm a size 8 myself!

Venus - I'm 5' 8 1/2 and was a size 10 until I was 30. I'm now a size 14 and some people still feel they have the right to tell me I'm too thin. I have never heard anyone feel they had the right to tell overweight people they're too fat.

I think the phrase 'stick insect size' is offensive to Kate, or indeed to any woman. I've never forgotten a man in the street shouting at me (aged 17) that I looked like a Biafran horror. This was in the midst of the Biafran famine of course. I was very embarrassed and self conscious. I ate a high carb diet then but was a naturally skinny in my teens and twenties.

Thatbags is right in suggesting other difficulties can trigger eating disorders but the youngest girl I worked with who had an eating disorder was aged 7 and was clear that refusing food was the consequence of "friends' at school saying she was fat.

I would love to be 5' 8 1/2"

I should be really, then I would look slim!