How have men’s bodies changed in the last 50 years?
By Ross Semple
Men in 2017 are a lot bigger than they were 50 years ago …
The findings are a result of government statistics as unearthed by Forza Supplements.
In 1967, the average British man stood 5ft 7.5in tall, weighed 11st 8lbs, had a chest size of 38 inches and a waist of 34 inches. Today, men are bigger in every way – with average height being 5ft 10in, weight 13st 3lbs, chest of 43in and waist 37in.
The man who most resembles the average British man’s measurements in 2017 is Daniel Craig, except he has a much slimmer waist. Steve McQueen was the ideal specimen of the 1967 British man.
Men’s feet have also grown in the last 50 years. The average shoe size is a 9 in 2017, up from a 7 in 1967.
We also live a lot longer than our 1967 counterparts. Men in 1967 were expected to live to age 68 – today that number is 81.
Lee Smith, Forza Supplements managing director, said that men in 2017 are a lot more active: “Mr Average is likely to exercise twice a week – consuming 2,500 calories a day compared to 2,000 calories back then.
“He is far more conscious of his body image. Around 42% of British men lift weights at least once a month these days compared to just 2% of men in the Sixties.”
However, obesity is a bigger issue than it once was. “British men are far fitter than they were they are also far fatter,” Lee says, “because they are richer and they are eating and drinking far more than they used to.”