Big-boned: Is there a correlation between being overweight and bone size?

Ever heard someone say they’re overweight simply because they are big-boned? This could also be an euphemism used by loved ones to describe someone who may be packing a little more weight than is needed. But do your bones really contribute that much to your weight?

Big-boned, more weight?

Yes, some people do have bigger bones; it’s why their wrists and elbows may appear larger, making it tricky for them to wear standard-sized watches and bracelets, according to Dr Brenda Banaszynski, a family medicine physician at Marshfield Clinic.

Body frame size is determined by a person's wrist circumference in relation to their height, the National Library of Medicine says on its website with a breakdown of measurements that helps you determine your body frame size, in case you’re curious.

Although, technically you could be big-boned due to having a larger bone structure, that is not where the extra weight is coming from. Dr Banaszynski explains:

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

Average size

The percentage of people who have a larger than average frame is barely 15%, about the same as people with smaller than average bone frame. Most people are just average sized in terms of skeletons.

So, it’s highly unlikely and scientifically impossible that every single person that is overweight is just big-boned, Claudette Lajam, M.D with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons told The Huffington Post.

Most people's weight is carried in their soft tissue -- muscle, fatty tissue, their organs so blaming extra weight on your bones is not accurate.

Thus the myth is bust: excess weight is either the result of excess fat or excess muscle, not excess bone or big bones.

Sources used:

Motion, Health & Fitness: Big boned, Big myth

Huffpost: Yes, You Can Be 'Big Boned' (But That's Not Why You're Overweight)

Shine 365: Big boned: Not a reason to be overweight

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