BMC Public Health June 2012 PMID 22709383

The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass.

Sarah Catherine Walpole, David Prieto-Merino, Phil Edwards, John Cleland, Gretchen Stevens, Ian Roberts

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Peak: 26 in Feb 2020

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall tone reflects strong interest and moderate agreement, with discussions including specific references to the article's estimates like the 287 million tonnes of human biomass and the effects of obesity, using analytical language and questioning to deepen understanding. These elements show participants are engaging thoughtfully with the data and its broader implications.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions seem to acknowledge and accept the findings of the publication, with some referencing specific data points and implications, such as the impact of obesity on global biomass and food demands.

InterestHigh interest

The discussions reveal a high curiosity about the data and its implications, including questions about human weight averages and population estimates, demonstrating strong engagement with the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants cite examples from the publication and related data, discuss implications for society and the environment, and critically analyze findings, indicating moderate to deep engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

While some comments highlight the potential significance for global food supply and environmental concerns, others focus on the novelty or bizarre aspects, suggesting a moderate impact on broader discussions about health and sustainability.

Abstract in brief

The study estimates that in 2005, the total adult human biomass worldwide was about 287 million tonnes, with overweight and obesity contributing significantly to this weight, making up 5% and 12% of the biomass, respectively.
North America, despite having only 6% of the global population, accounts for 34% of the biomass due to obesity, whereas Asia has 61% of the population but only 13% of the biomass from obesity.
If all countries had the same BMI distribution as the USA, the global human biomass would increase by 58 million tonnes, equivalent to an extra 935 million average-weight adults, which would also mean higher global food energy needs similar to adding all those extra people.]

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All mentions

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Elfa dos Insetos

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Apr 23, 2025 · 14 likes · 90,705 followers View post →

Emad

@EMostaque · X

This is actually a great question for web reasoners, they all fail for some reason Source: https://t.co/BbAGMSF7qS.

Apr 5, 2025 · 5 likes · 1 share · 300,570 followers View post →

Noah

@noah_anyname · X

@NameBunchONmbrs @A21starman @frogNscorpion @CommunityNotes I got 1.334 pounds of coal per body. https://t.co/Xas7w3efXH https://t.co/HsWbGw246k https://t.co/ly5sXTkpsG

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Bruno Laporte

@LaporteBruno2 · X

@totomathon @PN57155 @Echangesclimat Apparemment, c'est la moyenne adulte

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Hachi Hata

@hachi_hata · X

memo) Dieses Insekt ist in Japan kein Schädling, aber es ist interessant. https://t.co/wVXBMMp4eO

May 11, 2022 · 16 likes · 1,837 followers View post →

@felmagalhaes.bsky.social

@fncmagalhaes · X

ele não costuma citar nada, mas aqui damos sorte: Vaclav Smil, The Earth’s Biosphere: Evolution, Dynamics, and Change (2002); Sarah Catherine Walpole et al., ‘The Weight of Nations: An Estimation of Adult Human Biomass’, BMC Public Health 12:439 (2012), https://t.co/bbVVSaRtVh.

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Richard

@_Richard_2001 · X

@MicromobilityCo @asymco Got curious and found 62 kg as the average adult weight globally. So TBD what the average human weight is, but 50kg is probably not a bad guess + works well with the 100kg standard of the MoT measure. Open access study from 2012 here: https://t.co/VoqUwXURTh

Jan 7, 2022 · 25 followers View post →

John Roddy

@riScorpian · X

@CQDThisIsCOVM62 @CodingEtudes @Blueishvicstan That's another bizarre aspect of medicine. Dosage isn't actually determined by weight alone. In fact, there are several examples where lower weight requires a HIGHER dose. https://t.co/vOL2VkhHM4

Sep 29, 2021 · 427 followers View post →

Qikiciting

@qikiciting · X

According to https://t.co/wm1vg959m0 . One tonne of human biomass corresponds to 17 adults in China. So that's about 82 million tonnes of humans in China, so a bit over half of the weight of all the caught fish. So, either one of my sources/maths is wrong or Qikipedia is.

May 17, 2021 · 2 likes · 337 followers View post →

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@FredrikHedenus · X

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Andrea J.

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RT @SciShow: The foamy "cuckoo spit" you sometimes see on plants is actually... bug pee. Oh, and it might herald agricultural catastrophe.…

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Beware the Bug Spit: How Spittlebugs Accidentally Doom Plants @ https://t.co/ELhlzwHyBQ https://t.co/ld03tDxNlw

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RT @SciShow: The foamy "cuckoo spit" you sometimes see on plants is actually... bug pee. Oh, and it might herald agricultural catastrophe.…

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@nthonyholden @chromquwu This video explains it perfectly. https://t.co/g6mGWcs99E

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@nthonyholden From what I saw on an episode of SciShow, children's medicine isn't necessarily a smaller dose of adult medicine. Sometimes it's actually more! https://t.co/iOzoHeaX62

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DJD

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RT @johnhawks: "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 pap…

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Hank Greely

@HankGreelyLSJU · X

RT @johnhawks: "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 pap…

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Francisco C Ceballos

@Ceballos_Gene · X

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John Greene

@Greene_Thoughts · X

RT @johnhawks: "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 pap…

Mar 18, 2020 · 7 shares · 1,714 followers View post →

Pegnitzpirat

@Pegnitzpirat · X

RT @johnhawks: "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 pap…

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Suki

@suekhi · X

RT @johnhawks: "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 pap…

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John Hawks

@johnhawks · X

"In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 million tonnes" My PhD work was on population size, this 2012 paper puts our species on a scale: "The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass" https://t.co/MYqCSI0VcJ

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ekokepe

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Why Can't Kids Just Take Smaller Doses of Adult Meds? https://t.co/UBxzf5Acjv via @YouTube

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呼無木

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Eddie Oda

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何で子供には大人用の薬を小さいからって半分に割ってあげたりしちゃいけないのか良く解る内容だった :: Why Can't Kids Just Take Smaller Doses of Adult Meds? https://t.co/0AnklO7dD0 via @YouTube

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김창수 (옴부즈맨뉴스)

@kcs39194 · X

RT @CharlesIkenna23: Why Can't Kids Just Take Smaller Doses of Adult Meds? https://t.co/9kdcxqFC30 via @YouTube

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ferrari silvia

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RT @CharlesIkenna23: Why Can't Kids Just Take Smaller Doses of Adult Meds? https://t.co/9kdcxqFC30 via @YouTube

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Luca

@SorrisoCattivo · X

Kids dont are tiny humans This statement is an achievement of humanity https://t.co/jDa7COTvir

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@bill14051 · X

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@TyphoidMegs · X

RT @SciShow: You might have noticed that lots of drugs have special children’s formulas, and you might think that’s because smaller people…

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Miguel Angel Ruiz

@Mars_777 · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 25, 2020 · 7 shares · 2,611 followers View post →

Archidamia of Lacedaemonia

@Archilacedae · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 25, 2020 · 7 shares · 3,213 followers View post →

INEPTES AL JUTJAT I ELECCIONS

@Apitxat · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 25, 2020 · 7 shares · 556 followers View post →

...

@ppoHeisenberg · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 24, 2020 · 7 shares · 1,420 followers View post →

Susana

@FelisOnca8 · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 24, 2020 · 7 shares · 11,444 followers View post →

CayoCornelio

@CayoCornelio · X

RT @pitiklinov: “La biomasa debida a obesidad fue de 3,5 millones de toneladas, la masa equivalente a 56 millones de personas de masa corpo…

Feb 24, 2020 · 7 shares · 2,477 followers View post →

Pablo Malo

@pitiklinov · X

Feb 24, 2020 · 20 likes · 7 shares · 73,657 followers View post →

Marie Simon

@holyhologram · X

Combien pèse l'humanité ? https://t.co/DKdO01gG23 "In 2005, global adult human biomass was approximately 287 M tonnes, of which 15 M t were due to overweight (equivalent to that of 242 M people)". J'imagine des millions de bonhommes de graisse, c'est affreux. Via @picharbonnier

Nov 21, 2019 · 1 like · 2,799 followers View post →

Pierre Charbonnier

@picharbonnier · X

La palme de l'article bizarroïde du jour va à : "The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass" La conclusion : "Increasing population fatness could have the same implications for world food energy demands as an extra half a billion people living on the earth." https://t.co/ZrnKa7diIh

Nov 21, 2019 · 8 likes · 33,787 followers View post →

EK3

@EK14MeV · X

@Myrmecos @7StellarJays Spiders alone are estimated to eat more than the entire human biomass in a year. Yet the Left finds spiders the poster victims. Hmmm. Question the motives of ecoalarmism. It's a very dangerous, neo-Malthusian path. https://t.co/jahsNUzZsu https://t.co/OW7taaSvKN

Oct 31, 2019 · 572 followers View post →

mBank Research

@mbank_research · X

@LukiMarti Dokładnie 62 kg. https://t.co/StieL272GS

Aug 1, 2019 · 1 like · 57,521 followers View post →

Mind Blowing Facts

@mindblowingfaqs · X

That, if nobody was overweight, we could support 111 million more people without increasing energy production https://t.co/gYhTZbKjkC

Jul 19, 2019 · 1 like · 38 followers View post →

SAKAKIBARA Yoji

@sakak · X

RT @MaxCRoser: @HannahRitchie02 Here is some (odd!) context to make some sense of this number: 292 million tonnes is pretty close to the we…

Apr 13, 2019 · 1 share · 543 followers View post →