The Average Weight Of Americans Is Climbing

Since today is the day that most Americans traditionally overeat, I thought it would be a good time to show you this Gallup Poll. It was done as follows:

Results for this Gallup poll are based on three sets of five-years of combined results from the Gallup Poll's Social Series on Health and Healthcare -- 2003-2007, 2008-2012, and 2013-2017. Survey interviews were conducted by telephone interviews with random samples of adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For the 2003-2007 results, 5,044 adults were interviewed. For 2008-2012, 5,065 adults were interviewed. For 2013-2017, 4,935 adults were interviewed. For results based on the total samples of national adults, the margin of sampling error in all cases is ±2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. 

I found it amusing that as our average weight increases, so does the weight we consider to be ideal.

Overweight America

Turkey day is over, and most of us ate far too much of everything yesterday. So I thought this would be a good time to show these charts. They are from the Gallup Poll, and show that Americans are convinced that they weigh more than they should (and they are probably right). Note that, as the top chart shows, only 46% of Americans said they were overweight, while 48% said they were about the right weight. That has changed radically in the last 20 years. Now 60% of the population says they are overweight, while only 34% say they are about the right weight.

But the second chart is even more interesting (and somewhat amusing as well). As the average weight of Americans has climbed since 1991, so has the weight they claim would be ideal. In 1991, the average American weighed 161 pounds, and they reported that the ideal weight would be 149 pounds (a difference of 12 pounds). By 2011, the average reported weight had climbed to 176 pounds, and the ideal weight reported by people had climbed also -- to 162 pounds (a difference of 14 pounds), very similar to the difference between average and ideal weight in 1991.

And this similar gain of both the average weight and ideal weight doesn't seem to be confined to just one sex. The same phenomenon is observed with both men and women. Is this a vanity thing? Are people willing to admit they are overweight, but not much over what they consider their ideal weight? Why otherwise would the ideal weight have climbed a similar amount as the average weight (in general terms)?

Most Americans Over Their "Ideal Weight"

Today is the day that most of us Americans will eat far too much food.   It is kind of a tradition on Thanksgiving, at least for those who aren't poverty-stricken.   I usually eat so much turkey and trimmings that I have to take a nap before I can fit in the dessert, and I doubt I'm alone in that.   That's why I thought this poll by the Gallup organization was rather apropos for today.

According to the poll, more than 6 out of 10 Americans believe they weigh more than they should, while only 2 out of 10 believe they are currently at their ideal weight.   And that 6 out of 10 believe on average they are about 16 pounds overweight -- 12 pounds for men and 19 pounds for women.   Here are the numbers for those who think they are above their ideal weight:

ALL ADULTS
Over ideal weight...............62%
At ideal weight...............19%
Under ideal weight...............11%

MEN
Over ideal weight...............59%
At ideal weight...............22%
Under ideal weight...............15%

WOMEN
Over ideal weight...............65%
At ideal weight...............17%
Under ideal weight...............9%

Those numbers did not surprise me.   But the answers to the next question did surprise me.   The poll then changed the question a little bit.   Instead of asking if the people thought they were over their "ideal weight", they asked them if they were "overweight".   Here are the numbers for those who said they were overweight:

All adults...............38%
Men...............30%
Women...............45%

It's amazing that a change in wording produced such a change in numbers.   Frankly, if you are over your ideal weight then you are overweight.   You may not be grossly overweight, but you are overweight.   But a lot of people don't want to admit that -- probably because they would feel compelled to do something about it.

If you are overweight, do something about it.   And they only thing that will work is to limit your calorie intake to less than your body will burn.   If you want to eat more calories, then you'll have to exercise to burn off the excess calories.   The key is not what you eat -- it's how many calories is in what you eat.

But put that off for a day or two.   After all, you wouldn't want to break a Thanksgiving tradition would you?