Average US weight/Height for adults

[Hmac]

There is no question the U.S. is getting fatter by the minute. I do have a problem with the whole BMI calculation however. I think 215 is a great weight for a 6'4" man, but if you plug it in to a BMI calculator you'll see that your BMI is 26.2 which is second to the highest category on that chart. Many years ago when I came back from RVN I was so skinny I looked like I had been a POW. By the Mayo BMI calculator I was 23.8 (barely under the overweight category).

No doctor is going to sit down with a 6' 4" 215-lb male in his office and label him obese. Such a doctor might suggest weight loss/change in body composition if that patient demonstrated physiologic compromise (elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL, type II diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea). Insurance companies, however, (life/health/disability) may very well blindly apply "obese" to someone with a BMI greater than 25 and therefore adjust their premiums upward. There is no absolutely data, however, to support the idea that a BMI of 26.2 ("overweight") is causative of any of those obesity-related co-morbidities. A BMI of 30.2, however, does show such a correlation in population studies and body composition would be an important consideration, even in someone with normal resting heart rate/BP and no matter how fast they could run. Unless that extra weight is all muscle (which is certainly possible), 30.2 is obese, and the data indicates that people in the "obese" category will likely develop BP issues, diabetes, cholesterol in subsequent years.

[qsy]

No doctor is going to sit down with a 6' 4" 215-lb male in his office and label him obese. Such a doctor might suggest weight loss/change in body composition if that patient demonstrated physiologic compromise (elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL, type II diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea). Insurance companies, however, (life/health/disability) may very well blindly apply "obese" to someone with a BMI greater than 25 and therefore adjust their premiums upward. There is no absolutely data, however, to support the idea that a BMI of 26.2 ("overweight") is causative of any of those obesity-related co-morbidities. A BMI of 30.2, however, does show such a correlation in population studies and body composition would be an important consideration, even in someone with normal resting heart rate/BP and no matter how fast they could run. Unless that extra weight is all muscle (which is certainly possible), 30.2 is obese, and the data indicates that people in the "obese" category will likely develop BP issues, diabetes, cholesterol in subsequent years.

I realize that you do this for a living and I'm not trying to marginalize or dispute your knowledge and experience. I'm sure you hear rationalizations every day for lifestyle choices. I do think that insurance actuarial tables are accurate for their purposes but insurance companies are in the pay/don't pay business. The reasons why aren't as important than the total risk that can be predicted. If you use them to make personal choices, you drive a station wagon and don't own a firearm. The military has used them for years as height/weight limitations and they have a lot of really fit guys getting taped, and a lot of out of shape dudes breezing by under the radar.

I know that as a professional you make more accurate assessments of an individuals body composition and I appreciate your input. I just think it's odd that a rating scale that is referenced constantly in publications has me at the top of the "normal" category when I'm almost skin and bones.

[Hmac]

I realize that you do this for a living and I'm not trying to marginalize or dispute your knowledge and experience. I'm sure you hear rationalizations every day for lifestyle choices. I do think that insurance actuarial tables are accurate for their purposes but insurance companies are in the pay/don't pay business. The reasons why aren't as important than the total risk that can be predicted. If you use them to make personal choices, you drive a station wagon and don't own a firearm. The military has used them for years as height/weight limitations and they have a lot of really fit guys getting taped, and a lot of out of shape dudes breezing by under the radar.

I know that as a professional you make more accurate assessments of an individuals body composition and I appreciate your input. I just think it's odd that a rating scale that is referenced constantly in publications has me at the top of the "normal" category when I'm almost skin and bones.

As I said, body mass index is a metric suitable for populations but much less suitable for individuals. In my business, the obesity business, we use it only as a means of classification for insurance reimbursement categorization. BMI by itself doesn't form the basis of a treatment plan. For that, we would rely on a variety of other measures, including direct measurement of body fat percentage. If and when we get to the point where weight-loss surgery is the only option, body mass index along with documentation of significant comorbidities is almost the entire basis of a go/no go decision by that patient's insurance company.

It would be much more accurate to say that a doctor's use of body mass index whether it's in publications or in the formulation of a treatment plan for any given medical condition, is only useful and only used in the clinically obese patient population. Whether or not a person is obese, or packed with muscle, is a very simple clinical determination.

The Bariatric program that my partners and I have built over the years encompasses a team of nurses, nutritionists, psychologists, medical doctors, and surgeons. Other than creating and overall supervising the functionality of the team, my role is entirely weight-loss surgery. Of all of those team members, the surgeons are the very last step in what can be a lengthy and involved diagnostic and treatment process.

[ffhounddog]

Lol...trust me, I know. I got rope and choked every PT cycle, even though the only part I couldn't max was the run. I was about 30sec from a perfect score. It was a bit ridiculous to line up with the doughboys who seriously got red faced going up two flights of stairs just to be told I was a probationary pass for body comp. The command never gave me a hard time with the waiver, but the fact that a waiver was even necesessary is what bothered me.

I agree with this statement I'm considered overweight because of a skinny neck but they only measure waist and neck. I'm like hey how about chest and arms and all that. It sucks as an officer to get an avg 265 the past 4 years on the PT test only to have to follow the fat bodies. I do ruck marches and half the time I'm picking up some 300 point pt winners weapon because it's too heavy. It's an M4 with a m68 n it. No peq15 or light. Wtf. Then I get grilled by the brigade SGM because he only looks at PT scores for soldier of the month and why I counciled a soldier twice for falling out on ruck marches because he quoted not my mos. If you do your job, pass your PT test you are good to go.

[GTF425]

and why I counciled a soldier twice for falling out on ruck marches because he quoted not my mos.

Because moving with individual equipment across uneven terrain is strictly for the Infantry.

Next time he falls out, dump his rucksack and make the rest of the unit carry his shit and drag his candy ass on a Skedco.

Or, dump his equipment, divy it out to the Squad, and make that Soldier walk back with an empty rucksack and stand by in front of your Company so everyone can see what a weak hearted piece of shit they are while your boys put the work in.

[sasquatchoslav]

Not a good average for 20+ y/o adults in the US:
From the CDC circa 2016:


Measured average height, weight, and waist circumference for adults ages 20 years and over
Men:
Height (inches): 69.3
Weight (pounds): 195.5
Waist circumference (inches): 39.7
Women:
Height (inches): 63.8
Weight (pounds): 166.2
Waist circumference (inches): 37.5

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm

That is staggering I'm trying to wrap my head around those numbers. My AARP card comes any day, 6'1" 165 lbs. and swim ~ 8-10 miles a week depending on travel. Came from a running pedigree through college, but my knees revolted and I found the pool. I lifted a ton in the late 90's and got up to 181 pounds everyone said I looked great, but I felt like hell carrying around all that weight. I don't know if I have found my perfect weight, but my doc says keep doing what I'm doing and I feel like a million bucks.

That said 5'9" 195 is definitely not right for anyone regardless of body morphology if health is of concern.

[sniperfrog]

That is staggering I'm trying to wrap my head around those numbers. My AARP card comes any day, 6'1" 165 lbs. and swim ~ 8-10 miles a week depending on travel. Came from a running pedigree through college, but my knees revolted and I found the pool. I lifted a ton in the late 90's and got up to 181 pounds everyone said I looked great, but I felt like hell carrying around all that weight. I don't know if I have found my perfect weight, but my doc says keep doing what I'm doing and I feel like a million bucks.

That said 5'9" 195 is definitely not right for anyone regardless of body morphology if health is of concern.

This is funny to me. I feel the exact opposite. 6'1" and 165lbs is ridiculously underweight. 6'1" at 181 is underweight as well. I'm not even sure why you think that's heavy. 5'9" at 195lbs seems about right to me. If someone builds up a decent amount of muscle than they will weigh more.

Having more muscle and being stronger will help protect you from injuries. As long as your body fat levels aren't too high and blood work is good than having more lean body mass isn't going to be a health concern.

[sasquatchoslav]

This is funny to me. I feel the exact opposite. 6'1" and 165lbs is ridiculously underweight. 6'1" at 181 is underweight as well. I'm not even sure why you think that's heavy. 5'9" at 195lbs seems about right to me. If someone builds up a decent amount of muscle than they will weigh more.

Having more muscle and being stronger will help protect you from injuries. As long as your body fat levels aren't too high and blood work is good than having more lean body mass isn't going to be a health concern.

Oh I don't disagree more lean body mass can be a good thing, but that's not what I take out of that article especially when I see what fat asses Americans are across the board. As was stated BMI is a metric useful for the masses mostly, but I come in at a 22 even with that. I just had my annual physical in Feb and they gave me a new metric called SBMI(smart body mass index). For my age, body type, fat etc I came in at a 34. Ideal is 30-39....I just do what my doc tells me to and he said keep on doing what you are doing. I know mama would like me back at 181, but I felt like crap and I couldn't do any swimming and keep the weight on all I could do was lift 4 days a week and eat all day to keep that.....just not a good number for my body/metabolism. I am 100% slow twitch muscle head to toe I had a biopsy in college I don't fight it! What 'feels' right to me happens to coincide with what my doc tells me so I defer to him. I think it's very possible to grab another guy 6'1" and 181 and the doc would tell him 'spot on'....lots of different morphologies and things to consider.

[sniperfrog]

Im short and stocky. A few years ago i wanted to get lean so i followed a paleo-ish diet. After about six months i managed to get down to 162lbs with 9% bodyfat. At 5'7" i was still considered overweight by BMI standards. I lost a ton of strength and felt really weak. I put the weight back on and feel alot better. I have to carry about 90lbs of gear at work so being stronger makes that alot easier. Ive had two doctors tell me that my current weight of 185lbs is fine for my build.

[sasquatchoslav]

I hear you listening to the docs is my gold standard as well. During my annual check up what gets my attention most is labs and blood work. Regardless of how I may look on the outside it's what is happening on the inside that makes the grade for this old dude. Not that I don't pay attention to the SBMI range I'm in, but I use it as more of a confirmation that I'm in the ball park of where my body needs to be.

I can't imagine carrying 90 lbs for work I'd have to stop swimming and go back to lifting hard to survive! I just hate the gym it bores me to death, but I force myself indoors 3x a week to lift to keep a bit of land strength to fight gravity. The 90 minutes of outdoor time is my sanity in the pool.....way too much indoor time for me already:/