A survey of heights and weights of adults in Great Britain, 1980

Abstract

A survey of the heights and weights of a sample representative of the adult population of Great Britain aged 16 to 64 years was conducted in 1980. At the same time a questionnaire was administered to everyone in the sample so that sub-groups could be identified and their measurements compared. Tables of the heights and weights by sex and age are given, including a breakdown of heights by social class. The mean height of 20-30-year-old men was 175.7 cm and of 20-30-year-old women 161.7 cm. The difference in heights in these age groups between men in social class I/II and in class IV/V was about 3 cm, in women about 2 cm. Tables of weight for height for each age group and each sex are presented; average height, weight and body mass index are also provided for different regions of Great Britain. Persons living in Wales are shorter than others; those living in Scotland are the second shortest group. Persons living in the south of England are around 1 cm taller than those living in the north.