Think you’re average? The average size and weight in the US.
I often hear that the average woman in the US wears a clothing size 14.
After researching to see if this is correct, I discovered that the current average size of a woman is more like a size 16-18 according to a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.
These days, physicians and other health professionals constantly warn about the general increase in our weight – both in the US and in places around the world. Indeed, the increase in obesity and many chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and high-blood pressure are placing a big burden on our bodies and our health care system.
So, it’s not exactly a surprise to me that the average woman’s size is slightly larger than I was expecting. But it is hard to know what this means – if anything – without having a broader context with which to interpret it.
How much has our average weight increased?
My immediate follow-up question was about weight: if our size has gotten bigger, how much have our weights increased? To find out, I turned to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and their National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The NCHS is a federal statistical agency that provides data to identify and address health problems in our society.
Over the last several decades, the NCHS has performed a periodic national survey to record different human measurements – such as weight, height, infant head circumference, etc. ( FYI – this field is generally known as anthropometrics – the study of the measurements and proportions of the human body.)
(Who would have guessed that the government kept track of the length of our forearms!)
To see how far we’ve come, I compared the data from two separate time points:
- A study from 1960-1962
- A study from 2011-2014 (the most recent)
A total of 6,672 people between 18-79 were included in the first study. In the second, there were 19,151 people of all ages. I looked at the data for people 18 years and older in the first study, and 20 years and older in the second study. (It’s important to note here that these studies are not exactly the same in a few aspects, such as: the slight age difference already noted; less diversity in the first study – only about 10% non-whites; and in the first study, participants wore some clothing while the second study didn’t indicate this.)
And the results:
Not surprisingly, both men and women have gained weight between 1960 and 2011. Women have gained an average of 26.5 pounds and men 27.7 pounds.
The second study had a more diverse participation, and their data were also broken down into different races. A population evolves over time and this can impact the average. As an example: in the second study, the average weight of non-Hispanic black women was 190.2 pounds and for non-Hispanic Asian women was 131.4 pounds. Quiet a range.
So … we’re heavier.
Are we taller?
It turns out yes, but not by much. During that same time frame, women grew an average of 0.7 inches and men 1.0 inch.
What is interesting to me is to compare the increase in height and weight on a percentage basis. In those 50 years, the average woman increased in weight by 16.5% and the average man 17.6%. The increase in height, however, was much smaller: 1.5% for women and 1.3% for men.
The relationship between height and weight is probably not linear. But, the fact that weight has increased so much more than height is alarming. And it certainly corroborates the evidence that obesity is on the rise.
While I know that we’re becoming a nation of CrossFitters (well, not all of us), I don’t think this weight increase is just more muscle.
What about our average size?
I also discovered that vanity sizing – that is when clothing of the same numerical size becomes physically bigger over time – seems to be more prevalent than expected. In 2015 the Washington Post published an article discussing the many inconsistencies in women’s clothing sizes, including over time and between brands. Below is their chart showing how the measurements of individual women’s sizes have changed since 1958.
A size 8 today is almost the same as a size 16 in 1958.
This is a surprise. Our increased clothing size today is actually even bigger than we thought.
You can see how vanity sizing could help mask the gradual increase in size. In fact the Chief Medical Officer in the UK, where there are similar problems with obesity, expressed concern that trends like this may help to normalize being overweight.
All of these data seem to indicate that we are indeed getting bigger – again, not exactly a surprise. And like with any numbers and statistics, interpretation can be difficult: we can’t be certain of the why or even the absolute significance of this information.
But they are good reference points to have and at the very least they can help show how we evolve and put our current numbers into perspective.
And the more information we have, the better equipped we are to make healthier choices.