HUMAN WEIGHT

Weight, in the context of human body weight measurements in the medical sciences and in sports is used interchangeably with mass (rather than the correct technical definition of weight), and is thus expressed in units of mass, such as kilograms (kg) or weight, such as pounds (lb). In Britain, the unit stone (equivalent to 14 lb or 6.35 kg) is commonly used as well.

The average weight for all ages, sex and races is rising at an increasing rate in the United States. Adult men and women are roughly an inch taller that they were in 1960, but are nearly 25 pounds heavier on average as well. The average weight for men aged 20-74 years rose dramatically from 166.3 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002, while the average weight for women the same age increased from 140 pounds in 1960 to 164.3 pounds in 2002 ^[1] Obesity is now termed an Epidemic of global proportions. ^[2]

A quantity called Body Mass Index (BMI) is often used to express weight relative to height. This is determined by dividing the weight of a person in kilograms by the square of the height in meters.

Health issues involving human weight

• normal and abnormal growth and development
• the physiological and hormonal control of ingestion and digestion
• hunger and other motivations to eat
• problems in regulating body weight, often resulting in obesity
• eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
• effects of disease, often resulting in cachexia

Non-health related issues involving human weight

• leveling the playing field in various sports such as boxing, wrestling, and judo by classifying participants according to their weight
• issues regarding seat sizing and weight limitations on airplanes and other forms of transport

References

1. ^ Average Weight for all Ages and Races is Rising in US. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.
2. ^ Obesity is a World Epidemic. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.

See also

• anthropometry
• birth weight
• body mass index
• human height
• obesity