It could be that I am not the "average size" because the girdle slipped on pretty easily and even though I hooked it on the last row, it did not seem to cinch enough for my purposes. It's possible the next size down may might be what I need or it could be too small. I would have been willing to exchange for the next size down, but another concern is the middle row of eyelets are hard to hide through a thin, clingy dress or top, which is the whole reason I need it.