Weight and height for the average American woman have changed significantly over time, with weights increasing much more than heights have. Obesity has also increased dramatically. According to a Centers for Disease Control study of health behaviors between 2002 and 2004, women 45 to 64 years old were the most likely age group among women to be obese. The topic of women's weights and heights, and how proportional they are to one another, is especially noteworthy given how profoundly proportional, healthy weight can affect whether a woman suffers illness and health conditions.
Height
According to the CDC, the average height for adult women, ages 20 years old and older, during the timeframe of 2003 to 2006 was 63.8 inches. A report by the CDC indicated that between 1960 and 2002, women's average height had increased by about 1 inch. This increase was much smaller than the increase in women's average weight since 1960.
Weight
During the timeframe of 2003 to 2006, the average weight for women ages 20 years old and older was 164.7 pounds, according to the CDC. American women's weights have increased a great deal since the 1960s, and according to the CDC, women weighed on average upwards of 24 pounds more in 2002 than they did in the early 1960s.
Ethnicity and Race
Between 1960 and 2002, according to the CDC, non-Hispanic black women's average weight increased by about 13 pounds. Among black women, the increase was greatest, at 16 pounds, for those between 20 and 39 years old. For Mexican-American women, the weight increase over that time period was between 4 and 5 pounds. According to the CDC, as of the time period 1999 to 2002, non-Hispanic white women weighed between 158 and 161.7 pounds, black women weighed between 176.6 and 182.4 pounds and Mexican-American women weighed between 150.7 and 157.1 pounds.
Normal Ranges
For a woman who is 64 inches tall, or 5 feet 4 inches, a healthy weight would be between about 116 and 145 pounds, with about 130 pounds being average. This weight calculation is according to the Hamwi formula, which many health practitioners use to determine optimal weight based on a person's height.
Considerations
As women have become increasingly overweight and obese, and weight-related health conditions have also been on the rise, much discussion about the causes has ensued. Lifestyle issues are clearly related. Diet has contributed to increasing weight in American women, and this involves a prevalence of processed food, fast food and junk food, as well as too many calories and not enough healthy, nutritionally dense whole foods. Lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles are also key culprits for American women's average weight increases.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index, United States 1960--2002
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Body Measurements
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2003--2006
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Health Behaviors of Adults: United States, 2002--04
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