The US Coast Guard is changing its official assumed average weight per individual from 160 pounds (72kg) to 185 pounds (84kg) of American flab, shifting the legal limit of how many people are allowed on a commercial vessel. For instance, NPR reports, “A boat rated for a 16,000-pound (7200kg) capacity would be allowed to carry 86 people under the new rule, compared with 100 that are OK under the current standard”. Luckily, the new rules won’t affect private boats – so feel free to sail out into international waters and have a build your own sundae party with as many obese friends as you want. [via NPR]
Shutterstock/Frank Gaertner
Martin
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 10:03 AMwell I hardly think that 84kg is heavy. personally I weigh in at 76kg at the moment, at my heaviest I was 79kg, but at no point did I look fat.
the Average weight of an adult male is about 180lbs (81kg). So I hardly think that this is because of the fatness of america.
Piers
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 11:22 AMThing is though, Martin, the figure has to be an average across male and female. So 84kg is pretty hefty, taking that into account. Many women in the healthy body fat range (21 – 33% I believe) won’t weigh over 65kg.
Chris
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 11:24 AMAlso, i think that weight includes clothing and everything else a normal person would carry onboard. (Imagine the winter clothing used in the USA, plus wallets, phones, etc)
Kato
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 12:27 PMBut the average height of both men and women has also increased – the average height of an Australia female used to be 165cm (as of 1995).. I’m 175cm so it’s unreasonable to think I would weigh in at 65kg.
Although, just checked a BMI chart and apparently it would be acceptable for me to be 58kg and still be considered to be in a normal weight range.
FIFTY-EIGHT KILOS. BMI can go f*** itself.
Oliver
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:27 PMPeoples perceptions of average weight I think are changing. We’re seeing fatter people more often so consider the ‘average’ larger than we used to.