How Much Do People Weigh Around The World?

According to information gathered by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the average weight of an adult human is 137 pounds [1]. But what does the state of waistlines look across the world? Well, people’s diets, weight, and overall health can be greatly influenced by where they live. Many developed countries have higher rates of obesity and obesity-related illnesses like diabetes, while less developed countries do not.

While it might not be a shock to some that the United States ranks highly on the list of countries with the highest average weight, it’s not at the top. It’s actually third, behind first place Micronesia and second place Tonga [1]. A study published in the journal BMC Public Health highlights the problem of obesity in relation to the environment.

An excess in consumption of products can shorten people’s lives and leads to the destruction of the environment, which is the most prevalent in developed countries. For example, while the US only accounts for 5% of the world’s population, it accounts for almost a third of the world’s weight because of obesity!

What We Weigh Around The World

It may be hard to envision the whole world, so here’s a quick snapshot of countries all over the globe. Here we’ve not only listed their average body weight for men and women [1], but also the country’s rate of type II diabetes and average life expectancy.

Canada

Average adult weight: 153.81 lbs

Canadian adults with type II diabetes [2]: 13.2%

Average Canadian life expectancy [3]: 79 years for men, 83 years for women

The United States

Average adult weight: 180.62 lbs

American adults with type II diabetes [4,18]: 12.2%

Average American life expectancy [5]: 76 years for men, 81 years for women

Japan

Average adult weight: 130.11 lbs

Japanese adults with type II diabetes [6]: 7.6%

Average Japanese life expectancy [7]: 80.5 years for men, 86.8 years for women

Germany

Average adult weight: 161.03 lbs

German adults with type II diabetes [8]: 12.2%

Average German life expectancy [9]: 78.7 years for men, 83.4 years for women

Vietnam

Average adult weight: 111.83 lbs

Vietnamese adults with type II diabetes [10]: 3.01%

Average Vietnamese life expectancy [11]: 76 years for men, 79 years for women

Brazil

Average adult weight: 145.71 lbs

Brazilian adults with type II diabetes [12]: 6.3%

Average Brazilian life expectancy [13]: 71.4 years for men, 78.7 years for women

United Kingdom

Average adult weight: 167.1 lbs

UK adults with type II diabetes [14]: 6.2%

Average UK life expectancy [15]: 79.2 years for men, 82.9 years for women

Australia

Average adult weight: 170.54 lbs

Australian adults with type II diabetes [16]: 5%

Average Australian life expectancy [17]: 80.4 years for men, 84.5 years for women

This is just a glimpse of how some of the different walks of life are living. But where you live shouldn’t determine how much you weigh, or how long you’re going to live. You can take your health into your own hands. If you’re looking for some easy ways to get in shape and lose weight, tips on how to eat healthy, or even some recipes to help you with your weight loss goal, check out these great articles below!