Gender
Height
Frame size
Fat and muscle proportion
According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the average weight, height, and waist measurement for American adults age 20 years and older is:
Women
Average weight: 170.5 pounds
Average height: 5 feet, 3.6 inches tall
Average waist measurement: 38.7 inches
Men
Average weight: 197.8 pounds
Average height: 5 feet, 9 inches tall
Average waist measurement: 40.3 inches
Although these are averages, they do not imply that these weights are healthy. The average American adult’s body mass index (BMI), a measurement based on height and weight that can estimate total body fat, was 29.6 for women and 29.1 for men, both considered overweight, according to the CDC.
How Does BMI Help Determine Ideal Weight?
BMI (body mass index) is a metric doctors use to determine whether or not a person is overweight and to what extent. BMI is frequently used to calculate desirable weight ranges. BMI does not correspond with age in adults.
BMI is used slightly differently in children, in that it is calculated the same way as it is for adults, but then the ranges are compared to percentiles for children of the same age and sex.