Average human weighs 137lb - world's fattest countries

BerryH

I'm BARELY under the US average. Without the genders, heights, and builds, though, it's almost pointless to release the study…unless, of course, the study was simply meant to further the insecurities of people who are self-conscious about their weight. There's way too much emphasis on the number on the scale, alone, these days.

The study wasn't about health, it was about basing future food security on energy demands.

willhare

I'm BARELY under the US average. Without the genders, heights, and builds, though, it's almost pointless to release the study…unless, of course, the study was simply meant to further the insecurities of people who are self-conscious about their weight. There's way too much emphasis on the number on the scale, alone, these days.

The study wasn't about health, it was about basing future food security on energy demands.

I was referring to the initial link that started the thread.

Cindym82

You are roughly the same weight as the average adult in
Afghanistan


hmmmmm......

neverstray

Is it taking into account size? Americans are much bigger or taller than say Thai people, for example.

According to my BMI, if I weighed 137 lbs, I would be severly underweight, medically, the doctors would be telling me to put on some lbs. I think I call BS on this report.

cici1028

Zimbabwe!

BerryH

I was referring to the initial link that started the thread.

That was an infographic-heavy article based on the study I referred to which the newspaper had chosen to put a populist obesity angle on. The scientists who did the study didn't need to take these things into account as that wasn't what they were measuring.

A study that was actually into healthy weights by country would take things like height and build into account. As a science journalist myself I can vouch for the fact that the takeaway message most newspapers and magazines take away from research isn't what it was designed to prove.

So it was far from pointless to release the study as it will hopefully help inform future food security, and the article was far from pointless as by making it a "fattest countries" league it got lots of readers, which is the raison d'etre for newspapers

beansprouts

And while the US makes up only five per cent of the world's population, it accounts for almost a third of the world’s weight due to obesity.

In comparison, Asia has 61 per cent of the world’s people but only 13 per cent of the world’s weight.

This proves nothing except that statistics can be manipulated to bolster any POV.

As an adult male at 185 cm, 62 kg would be borderline for an unhealthy maintenance weight.

Or in other words...a nation population made up of one very healthy baby elephant, a dog, two cats and three anemic squirrels would also have an "average" weight of 137 lbs...."Average weight" is really not a great indicator of anything but your dress size.

Oishii

I'm BARELY under the US average. Without the genders, heights, and builds, though, it's almost pointless to release the study…unless, of course, the study was simply meant to further the insecurities of people who are self-conscious about their weight. There's way too much emphasis on the number on the scale, alone, these days.

The study wasn't about health, it was about basing future food security on energy demands.

And then the Telegraph stepped in :laugh: Seriously though, why are people thinking it's about how FAT they are? My weight being between Chad and Niger just makes me sad for the people living there who are probably, in the main, taller than me. They clearly don't have food security yet!

jordanreddick

Ugh! Only lighter than 2 other countries!!! In between US and Tonga

niss63

Your first post:

From the Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9345086/The-worlds-fattest-countries-how-do-you-compare.html

The world's fattest countries: how do you compare?

The average weight of an adult human is 137 pounds (62 kg) according to a league table of the world's 'fattest' nations from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Find out how you compare to other adults using our interactive graphic.

The pacific island nations of Micronesia and Tonga are at the top of the league table, followed closely by the United States where the average adult weighs 180.62 pounds (81.93 kg).

The United Kingdom is the tenth fattest country in the world, where an average adult weighs 167.1 pounds (75.8 kg).

The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health and launched on Monday at the United Nations conference Rio+20, highlights the problem of obesity in relation to the environment.

Excess consumption shortens people's lives and accelerates the destruction of the environment, and is concentrated in richer countries.

While the average body mass globally was 62 kg, North Americans weigh in at 81.9 kg.

And while the US makes up only five per cent of the world's population, it accounts for almost a third of the world’s weight due to obesity.

In comparison, Asia has 61 per cent of the world’s people but only 13 per cent of the world’s weight.

And now this:

The study isn't about healthy weight for specific genders, heights and builds, it's actually about food security, where the average weight of an adult indicates overall energy requirement. The media merely tagged the obesity angle on because of the league table.

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/tacking_population_weight_crucial_for_food_security.html

I'm calling foul on this one. The first post is focused on obesity, plain and simple. Now you're saying that this is about food security - which was not indicated in your first post.

If this is about getting responses (selling papers), then you've suckered me in. Fool me once...

katrwal

I do love this topic, because it highlights how people use "weight" as the sole trigger for value... and that "weight" directly relates to "fat"...

for instance, yes, Asia has lower weight - but i looked up the average height chart for countries - and the average height for women in Asia is almost 4 inches shorter than in the US (5'0.8" vs 5'4.6").

I happen to be 6" taller than the female average height in the US, and yet fall between Egypt and Cypress on that chart... and, because i've spent a lifetime buying into the number on the scale determining my happiness, i had to go do 10 more minutes of research to justify being happy with where i am ...

hope you have a wonderful day!

BerryH

I'm calling foul on this one. The first post is focused on obesity, plain and simple. Now you're saying that this is about food security - which was not indicated in your first post.

If this is about getting responses (selling papers), then you've suckered me in. Fool me once...

I posted an article I found interesting. It was obvious it was flawed as an obesity table as it didn't take into account any other factors than sheer mass. Many people commented on this so I went to the original source to see what the scientists were actually trying to get at (always worth doing with any research-related article reposted on MFP BTW).

So yeah, call foul on me if it makes you happy, but you might as well call foul on scientific reporting in the media.

Read this site and the related book if you're interested in this sort of thing, it will change the way you read pretty much any article with science or statistics in it:
http://www.badscience.net/

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Yeah, what percentage of those weights are unhealthy though? I'd say anything under 55kg is definitely under-nourished!

I'm 54.2 kg (120lbs.) but I lift heavy weights & today I have eaten 1700+ calories and in fact I went over my calorie goal so I'm far from being under-nourished & I'm 1.57m (5'2") so 54.2kg is still a HEALTHY weight for me. Anyway thanks for your ignorant assumption.

hanahlai

I am in between China & Malaysia. "You're heavier than the average adult in 52 countries" That's a little disheartening...but then I think about all the third world countries who are starving so I figure it probably is accurate.

imkegoal

Wow, at a similar level s guatamala, I am lighter than my original average country men (Netehrlands- coming in at 70) and much lighter than my current countrymen (British) I am chuffed. Mind you this article includes males and females, so I am probably heavier than the average woman in Netherlands at least... .

INteresting article, and fun to do. Thanks for sharing!

beccaboo0713

I am Chad. "you are lighter than the average adult in 143 countries but heavier than the average adult on 34 countries"

jonnyman41

seriously? not sure what that is in pounds but one nephew is in there now and he certainly is skinny but taller and his brother tried years ago and could not get in as he needed to gain a few pounds he was just under 9 stones (126 lbs) but he is a short *kitten*

jonnyman41

I'm calling foul on this one. The first post is focused on obesity, plain and simple. Now you're saying that this is about food security - which was not indicated in your first post.

If this is about getting responses (selling papers), then you've suckered me in. Fool me once...

I posted an article I found interesting. It was obvious it was flawed as an obesity table as it didn't take into account any other factors than sheer mass. Many people commented on this so I went to the original source to see what the scientists were actually trying to get at (always worth doing with any research-related article reposted on MFP BTW).

So yeah, call foul on me if it makes you happy, but you might as well call foul on scientific reporting in the media.

Read this site and the related book if you're interested in this sort of thing, it will change the way you read pretty much any article with science or statistics in it:
http://www.badscience.net/

To be honest I thought you posted this as a bit of fun for others and that knowing our mass media most people would expect it to be flawed and treat it as you meant it to be, a fun exercise.

beansprouts

Your first post:

From the Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9345086/The-worlds-fattest-countries-how-do-you-compare.html

The world's fattest countries: how do you compare?

The average weight of an adult human is 137 pounds (62 kg) according to a league table of the world's 'fattest' nations from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Find out how you compare to other adults using our interactive graphic.

The pacific island nations of Micronesia and Tonga are at the top of the league table, followed closely by the United States where the average adult weighs 180.62 pounds (81.93 kg).

The United Kingdom is the tenth fattest country in the world, where an average adult weighs 167.1 pounds (75.8 kg).

The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health and launched on Monday at the United Nations conference Rio+20, highlights the problem of obesity in relation to the environment.

Excess consumption shortens people's lives and accelerates the destruction of the environment, and is concentrated in richer countries.

While the average body mass globally was 62 kg, North Americans weigh in at 81.9 kg.

And while the US makes up only five per cent of the world's population, it accounts for almost a third of the world’s weight due to obesity.

In comparison, Asia has 61 per cent of the world’s people but only 13 per cent of the world’s weight.

And now this:

The study isn't about healthy weight for specific genders, heights and builds, it's actually about food security, where the average weight of an adult indicates overall energy requirement. The media merely tagged the obesity angle on because of the league table.

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/tacking_population_weight_crucial_for_food_security.html

I'm calling foul on this one. The first post is focused on obesity, plain and simple. Now you're saying that this is about food security - which was not indicated in your first post.

If this is about getting responses (selling papers), then you've suckered me in. Fool me once...

I don't know if you should be getting mad with this poster for reporting on a subject that is currently being printed all over the British papers...Apparently earlier this week, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine issued a report that said things like:

“The increased global demand for food arising from the increase in body mass is likely to contribute to higher food prices. Because of the greater purchasing power of more affluent nations (who also have higher average body mass), the worst effects of increasing food prices will be experienced by the world’s poor,”

Which is of course a lot of NONSENSE!....We(the US) are at the top of the "fat" list...and yet...We still have lots of poor people in America who are very,very fat from eating lots of cheap junk (food ?) like coke, pepsi and Little Debbies. That report totally missed the mark... The solution to world hunger is real food...Hunger does not disappear just because there is an increase in per capita body fat.

tidmutt

America the FAT!
We are a nation of fatties...lol I use the word "fat." F.A.T.
F is for "Fatal"
A is for "Awful"
T is for "Terrible"
I use that word because that's what people are: they're fat. They're not bulky; they're not large, chunky, hefty or plump. And they're not big-boned. Dinosaurs were big-boned. These people are not overweight: this term somehow implies there is some correct weight... There is no correct weight. Heavy is also a misleading term. An aircraft carrier is heavy; it's not fat.
Only people are fat, and that's what fat people are!
They're fat!

I just lost a few IQ points, I would like them back please.