# Is Mary-Kate Olsen really that much skinnier than Ashley Olsen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165 "2004-06-25T11:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/1 "2004-06-25T11:58:42Z")
Although I was quite the “Full House” fan, I’m sorry to admit that I haven’t paid very close attention to the Olsen twins in the years since. Of course I’ve been aware of them, and know them to see them when they are featured on T.V. or on covers of magazines, I just haven’t been paying close attention. So, now it seems [Mary-Kate may be anorexic](http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/22/people.olsen.reut/index.html). Does she look all that different from Ashley? I watched a little bit of the Saturday Night Live appearance (before this news broke) and it never struck me that one of them was any skinnier than the other. They both just looked like super-skinny teenaged girls to me. I mentioned to a friend that I didn’t notice a difference on the SNL appearance and she immediately said, “Are you crazy? One of them was _way more_ sickeningly skinny than the other!” So, is there a significant difference or should we start to worry about Ashley too\*? \*I certainly don’t mean to suggest that just because they’re identical twins they must have identical eating disorders, I realize that they are two individuals capable of making divergent choices. I also don’t mean to start a gossip Thread about whether or not Ashley Olsen is anorexic. Just looking to see how many of you do in fact see a significant physical difference between the two girls. Anorexia has quite vivid physical symtoms and these to girls physically look the same to me. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/2 "2004-06-25T12:02:32Z")
I was wondering the same thing myself. I couldn’t identify the “anorexic” one until it was revealed that the blond one was Ashley. BTW, They are fraternal twins. Two sisters who look amazingly alike. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/3 "2004-06-25T12:08:06Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > BTW, They are fraternal twins. Two sisters who look amazingly alike. Wow! I just checked you on that and you’re right! All this time I _knew_ that they were identical twins. Now I must question everything I think I know. They’re fraternal twins??? That’s amazing. They really do look so much alike! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/4 "2004-06-25T12:13:21Z")
When you’re that tiny, a couple pounds can make a huge difference. They’re only 5’ 0" and 5’1". They always show the thin twin in that backless dress shot, which zeros in on her ribs. My guess is that the super thin one is probably only 5 lbs. less than the other one. And I’ll bet neither of them have hit the three-digit mark. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/5 "2004-06-25T13:30:03Z")
The thinner one has a more skeletal look to her face and neck. I wouldn’t class it as horribly dangerously thin, but then I ain’t no doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/6 "2004-06-25T13:44:23Z")
I wonder if the diagnosis is more from behavior than from appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/7 "2004-06-25T13:57:21Z")
My wife heard through her twins group that the Olsen twins are what are known as polar-body twins. This occurs when the egg splits before fertilization, and is then fertilized by different sperm. Therefore, genetically, the girls are “half-identical” which can account for how they look so similar. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/8 "2004-06-25T13:59:42Z")
The Bush girls are also fraternal twins, FWIW. Although you’d think they’d be a better name when they’re both girls… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/9 "2004-06-25T14:07:57Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > Although you’d think they’d be a better name when they’re both girls… Sororal twins??? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/10 "2004-06-25T15:56:11Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I wonder if the diagnosis is more from behavior than from appearance. Yeah, perhaps they simply caught the problem before it got any worse. From the images, she looks very thin, but no thinner than most other actresses. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/11 "2004-06-25T16:06:08Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > My wife heard through her twins group that the Olsen twins are what are known as polar-body twins. > > This occurs when the egg splits before fertilization, and is then fertilized by different sperm. Therefore, genetically, the girls are “half-identical” which can account for how they look so similar. There were two sisters in my grade (way back in junior high school) who everyone thought were twins. Turns out they were actually born almost exactly nine months apart (poor mom!) and so were in the same grade. They could almost pass for identical twins, despite the separate pregnancies. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/12 "2004-06-25T16:30:10Z")
This fan [page](http://www.geocities.com/edpetition/Articles/MKA.html) has got some scanned in magazine articles. There’s a picture of both of them together from the side and you can clearly see that the arm of the anorexic one is much, much thinner than the non-anoriexic one’s. They’re both very slender but one is clearly scarily thin… ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/13 "2004-06-25T16:55:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > BTW, They are fraternal twins. Two sisters who look amazingly alike. How would they test for something like that? I always just assumed that if a set of twins looked alike they assumed they were identical, if not they figured fraternal. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/14 "2004-06-25T17:26:56Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > How would they test for something like that? I always just assumed that if a set of twins looked alike they assumed they were identical, if not they figured fraternal. You can tell when they’re born. Fraternal twins each have their own placenta; identical twins are both attached to the same placenta. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/15 "2004-06-25T17:54:59Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > There were two sisters in my grade (way back in junior high school) who everyone thought were twins. Turns out they were actually born almost exactly nine months apart (poor mom!) and so were in the same grade. They could almost pass for identical twins, despite the separate pregnancies. I believe any two kids born within one year of each other are called Irish Twins. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/16 "2004-06-25T18:02:48Z")
Well, those pictures made it clear she’s much thinner than her sister. It’s a tough thing to deal with, especially if it’s an atypical type of eating disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/17 "2004-06-25T18:03:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Sororal twins??? Yep, that’s exactly right. My best friend is a sororal twin and she gets a little irate when people refer to her as a fraternal twin. And for the record, a girl and a boy are still fraternal. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/18 "2004-06-25T18:07:23Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > How would they test for something like that? I always just assumed that if a set of twins looked alike they assumed they were identical, if not they figured fraternal. DNA testing would work. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/19 "2004-06-25T18:11:05Z")
> [@DrScarlett](#): > > And for the record, a girl and a boy are still fraternal. :mad: No, no, no. That’s using the “false gerenic”–a male term for a group including male and female. Non-identical twins is better. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165/20 "2004-06-25T18:18:46Z")
Better? It’s incredibly awkward and sounds too PC. As the dad of 19 month old boy-girl twins, I’ll keep using the term “fraternal”, thank you very much. Or, better yet, just call them twins, since you can tell at a glance they’re not identical. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mary-kate-olsen-really-that-much-skinnier-than-ashley-olsen/252165.md?page=2)