Californians typically weigh about 10 pounds more today than they did fifteen years ago, according to the latest federal data.
California adult men weighed, on average, 189 pounds in 2011, up from 180 in 1996, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. California adult women weighed, on average, 156 pounds in 2011, up from 146 in 1996.
Besides weight, health professionals often look at Body Mass Index (BMI) - an indicator of how much fat is in a body. The CDC considers those with a BMI over 25 as overweight, and those over 30 as obese. Obesity increases a person's chances of heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases, multiple studies have shown.
About 25 percent of California adults had a BMI consistent with obesity in 2011, up from 15 percent in 1996.
This calculator lets you see your Body Mass Index and how it compares to the BMI of other California adults, based on the latest CDC data.
• Read more articles by Phillip Reese
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