About the average american woman
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So one thing that has been puzzling me for a while, is the stats on the "average" american woman.
Let's recap:
Height: 63.8 inches (just under 5'4")
Weight: 166 pounds
Waist Size: 34**
Clothing Size: 14
** Lots of conflicting stuff out there on measurements. But I am just going to use this stat for "white women" for reference sake: 41-34-43. The averages for Latinas, Black Women and Asian women vary a bit. But all are within an inch or 2 in each dimension. Some of the waist estimates are as high as 37. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/01/us/sizing-up-america-signs-of-expansion-from-head-to-toe.html
But herein lies my question. For all intensive purposes, I am the size of the "Average" american. And reading the threads, many of you are as well. I am a little over 5'4." My measurements are about 42-34-45 (so not too far off the the average). Yet I am around 50 pounds over that "average" weight. And last summer, I did get to those average (my waist was a little smaller, but similar enough) measurements. And I was 40 pounds heavier than the "average woman" who is supposed to have my measurements. The only thing that is certain, If I was "average" weight, my measurements would not be "average." They'd be significanly smaller.
So what's the deal? Is the average woman's scale lying? Or is it something else all together. Body composition? Some other explanation?
Has anyone else compared themselves to the "average woman?"
Let's recap:
Height: 63.8 inches (just under 5'4")
Weight: 166 pounds
Waist Size: 34**
Clothing Size: 14
** Lots of conflicting stuff out there on measurements. But I am just going to use this stat for "white women" for reference sake: 41-34-43. The averages for Latinas, Black Women and Asian women vary a bit. But all are within an inch or 2 in each dimension. Some of the waist estimates are as high as 37. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/01/us/sizing-up-america-signs-of-expansion-from-head-to-toe.html
But herein lies my question. For all intensive purposes, I am the size of the "Average" american. And reading the threads, many of you are as well. I am a little over 5'4." My measurements are about 42-34-45 (so not too far off the the average). Yet I am around 50 pounds over that "average" weight. And last summer, I did get to those average (my waist was a little smaller, but similar enough) measurements. And I was 40 pounds heavier than the "average woman" who is supposed to have my measurements. The only thing that is certain, If I was "average" weight, my measurements would not be "average." They'd be significanly smaller.
So what's the deal? Is the average woman's scale lying? Or is it something else all together. Body composition? Some other explanation?
Has anyone else compared themselves to the "average woman?"
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Replies
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I have thought the same thing. I believe that it might be helpful to think of all of those categories as classed separately. For example, as a whole, the American woman, regardless of weight, height, etc. has a waist size of 34. Or, disregarding everything else, the average size is 14. It is difficult to lump these all together into a fair representation, when so many women (from the posts I've seen before) don't seem to fit the bill of what is supposedly "average." For example, I am a size 10/12, with a 30" waist, under the "average" size, but I am 164 pounds, close to the average weight. Maybe the categories all put together don't necessarily represent a prototype of a good chunk of American women.
Or maybe I'm completely off...0 -
Never met an 'average' American woman in my life.0
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An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.0 -
Body composition and skewed sampling.
Pretty sure the closest response center to me was in the parking lot of the Compton Wal Mart, which is why I didn't show up.0 -
Weight is not determined by 3 measurements.
By the way, it's "intents and purposes" not "intensive purposes."0 -
Average is so average! Bleh! :huh: Embrace YOU!0
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An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.
what you mean to say is, look at mode or median, not the mean. Your welcome!0 -
An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.
what you mean to say is, look at mode or median, not the mean. Your welcome!
We've discussed this ad nauseum. Nobody is being mean. Sheesh!0 -
You might be the average weight of the nation but when you refer to being X lbs over the "average weight", that "average weight" is the average weight within a healthy weight range.
For simplicity sake, say that the healthy weight range for a 5'4" woman is between 120 and 140. The average of those would be 130. That's the average you are x lbs overweight.0 -
Could be that you have a larger frame and more muscle than the average women with those approximate stats? And as someone else also mentioned that those few measurements don't give info on hip/butt/thigh/arm etc size, so maybe that plays into it too. This is so interesting!0
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My head hurts from this.....me needs hugz and kisses AND
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You might be the average weight of the nation but when you refer to being X lbs over the "average weight", that "average weight" is the average weight within a healthy weight range.
For simplicity sake, say that the healthy weight range for a 5'4" woman is between 120 and 140. The average of those would be 130. That's the average you are x lbs overweight.
you mean standard deviation!0 -
An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.
what you mean to say is, look at mode or median, not the mean. Your welcome!
We've discussed this ad nauseum. Nobody is being mean. Sheesh!
My friend is mean when she eats pancakes.0 -
you mean standard deviation!
You called?0 -
An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.
what you mean to say is, look at mode or median, not the mean. Your welcome!
We've discussed this ad nauseum. Nobody is being mean. Sheesh!
My friend is mean when she eats pancakes.
Your friend should be feeding you a five fingered sandwich for making such a random accusation.0 -
An average is a bunch of numbers added together and divided by the number of numbers that were added together.
There will be outliers -- some way higher and some way lower.
Ex: 20+50+70+10+30+150=330
The average of those numbers is 55.
what you mean to say is, look at mode or median, not the mean. Your welcome!
We've discussed this ad nauseum. Nobody is being mean. Sheesh!
My friend is mean when she eats pancakes.
Your friend should be feeding you a five fingered sandwich for making such a random accusation.
I am going to buy her a pancake tomorrow to see what happens. If I am absent tomorrow that means she shoved that pancake in my face.0 -
I think weight is a useless measure of health. Just find it interesting about these "averages". It is a little weird.
My own goals are not weight related. I have a goal weight neighborhood. But if it turns out I hit my goal measurements/body fat percentage before the weight it is not an issue. The scale isn't motivating. It is more import is to make health behaviors permanent habits.
Luckily for me I don't have any major health issues to deal with, things like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are normal to low.0 -
Weight is not determined by 3 measurements.
By the way, it's "intents and purposes" not "intensive purposes."
Glad you said it before me....I thought those purposes must be really intense!0 -
I think weight is a useless measure of health. Just find it interesting about these "averages". It is a little weird.
My own goals are not weight related. I have a goal weight neighborhood. But if it turns out I hit my goal measurements/body fat percentage before the weight it is not an issue. The scale isn't motivating. It is more import is to make health behaviors permanent habits.
Luckily for me I don't have any major health issues to deal with, things like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are normal to low.
You have some good points, but I think weight is still useful. It can be an indicator of how much lean mass your body has versus how much fat it has. It would be difficult to image a 300 pound 5'4" woman that was all muscle, so in this example weighing 300 pounds is a sign of less than ideal health. Too much fat and a person will start to develop those health issues which fortunately you currently do not have.0 -
Good question! I suppose it has to do with body composition. I mean, like you (though I'm a "white woman" LOL) my measurements are 41/31/41 but...I weigh about ten pounds more than the "average" white women that you speak of. I also suppose that its a good thing there are all different shapes and sizes or the world would be a truly boring place in which we live! 0
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