Americans are getting bigger but not taller
Main Category: Public HealthArticle Date: 01 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT
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According to a new survey, Americans are growing - around the waist, that is.
10,000 people were scanned using a hi-tech scanner. The survey covered more than 13 US cities.
The results of the survey are worrying. 20% of American men are portly. 25% are so fat that they have trouble finding their waist when it has to be measured.
66% of American women are pear shaped. Very few American men or women fit into what used to be called the 'standard clothing size'. Standard clothing size for women is a size 8.
A size 8 means the woman has a 35-27-37.5 inch body (bust-waist-hips). Does the standard American woman today have these measurements?
The average woman aged 18-25 has a figure that consists of 38-32-41. And these are the young ones!!!
In the late thirties group the figures jump to 41-34-43, for a black woman 43-37-46.
The 'standard' chest size for men of 40 inches seems rather out-of-date. The traditional average has always been (for a man) 40-34-40 (chest-waist-hips).
Not even average young men can fit into this size. The average 18-25 male statistics are now 41-35-41.
The average 36-45 white male has a 44-38-42 figure. The average 36-45 black male is slightly slimmer at 43-37-42.
According to the survey:
- Women are on average 5 feet 4 inches tall.
- Women weigh on average 148 pounds
- Men are on average 5 feet 9 inches tall
- Men weigh on average 180 pounds
- Men and women have increased their average weight by about 4 pounds since 1994 (last CDC survey)
_ Men and women have the same height as in 1994 (average)
_ 51% of men thought their weight was ideal
- 38% of women thought their weight was ideal
- 10% of men thought they were quite overweight
- 20% of women thought they were quite overweight
The survey was sponsored by the clothing and textile industries of the USA, plus the Army and Navy (and some Universities).
It is the biggest survey carried out in the USA since 1941.
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13 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/6254.php>
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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/6254.php.
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Visitor Opinions In Chronological Order (4)
this survey is silly
posted by Daniel on 31 Aug 2010 at 5:30 pmHow are you going to base an average survey off textile companies and the army and navy? Considering the military makes up 1% of the american population...and thats the physically fit percentage. Think about it, the army and navy do regular physical training, usually 5 days a week for no less than an hour a day. And 3 days of that is running. How can the rest of the can't-get-off-the-couch, potato chip and big mac eating Americans be grouped in with this? This survey is totally inaccurate.
weight gain
posted by reader1 on 26 Sep 2010 at 2:43 ami think its good that people are a little more relaxed about their weight, people stress so much about their weight these days, the media should stop showing fake airburshed skinny models and show real people. i think there is nothing unsexy about having a few xtra pounds.
Inaccurate??
posted by Brandon on 7 Oct 2010 at 12:40 pm@Daniel, please notice that the survey was Sponsored by the textile industry, and the army and navy. That means that the army, navy textile industries and some universities PAID for the survey of 10,000 average Americans. Not that it was taken of 10,000 army navy and textile workers.
@reader 1, While I agree about emaciated models making people strive for unhealthy low weight, and that too much emphasis is put on weight and not body fat percentage, which is a far better test of health. I think the point the article is making is that our average is turning into more than a few extra pounds.
Here we go...
posted by Daryl on 15 Nov 2010 at 11:03 am@ Reader1
Correct, it is NOT about weight and the few extra pounds. All that really matters are if you are truly healthy and fit (professional athletes come to mind as). And if you want to really get more stats into play: BMI, body fat percentage, etc. And actually, seeing as there are A LOT of people in America gaining the extra pounds, the whole model thing is fleeting. On the flip side, America is simply doing a poor job in overall health (including weight, body fat percentage, BMI, you name it).
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