The Average American Is Edging Closer to Being Obese

The Average(ˈav(ə)rij) American Is Edging(ˈejiNG) Closer to Being Obese(ōˈbēs)

By Alexandre Tanzi

The average American is heavier(ˈhevē) than at the start of the 21st Century – and very close to being obese, according to Centers for Disease(dəˈzēz) Control data on body metrics(ˈmetriks).

The average American man is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighs(wā) 198 pounds(pound); an average woman is 5-feet, 4-inches and 171 pounds, based on CDC data. That compares(kəmˈpe(ə)r) with 189.1 pounds and 163.6, respectively(rəˈspektivlē), at the start of the century.

A man of average height is considered overweight between 169 and 202 pounds and obese above 202 pounds. A woman of average height is considered overweight between 140 and 174 and obese above 175 pounds. The average non-Hispanic(hiˈspanik) white((h)wīt) American male(māl) weighs 202.2 pounds.

The Obesity(ōˈbēsədē) Society, a scientific research organization, this month classified(ˈklasəˌfīd) obesity as a worldwide(ˈwərldˈwīd), non-communicable(kəˈmyo͞onəkəb(ə)l) chronic(ˈkränik) disease(dəˈzēz). “Obesity meets all criteria(ˌkrīˈtirēən) for being a disease, and therefore, should be characterized(ˈkerəktəˌrīz) as such,“ said Cathy Kotz, the society’s vice president(ˈprezəˌdent) and a professor at the University of Minnesota(ˌminəˈsōdə).

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-20/tale-of-the-tape-average-american-is-borderline-obese-cdc-says