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The following
information - excerpted from the NutriBase EZ Edition
Software - is a discussion about "desirable" body weights
for women. The charts for men follow the charts presented
for women.
In 1942,
Louis Dublin, a statistician at Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company, grouped some four million people who were insured
with Metropolitan Life into categories based on their
height, body frame (small, medium or large) and weight.
He discovered that the ones who lived the longest were
the ones who maintained their body weight at the level
for average 25-year-olds.
These Metropolitan
Life tables became widely used for determining recommended
body weights. In 1942, the tables gave "ideal body weights."
In 1959, they were revised and became "desirable body
weights." And in 1983, they were revised once again, this
time called "height and weight tables." The weights given
in the 1983 tables are heavier than the 1942 tables because,
in general, heavier people live longer today.
Experts
have criticized the validity of these tables for several
reasons:
1) Insured people tend to be healthier than uninsured
people.
2) Frame size was never consistently measured.
3) The people who were included were predominantly
white and middle-classed.
4) Some persons were actually weighed, some were
not.
5) Some wore shoes and/or clothing, some did not.
6) The tables do not consider percentage of body
fat or distribution, which are now known to be important
factors in longevity.
Many experts
say the 1942 tables are more accurate because they indicate
lower "ideal weights." Many experts support the use of
the 1983 tables, citing that these are the latest statistical
sampling of such matters. The American Heart Association
recommends using the 1959 tables rather than the newer
tables that suggest somewhat higher weights. This Guide
shows you the 1959 tables.
Some experts
criticize the Metropolitan Life tables stating that they
are okay for persons in their forties, but that the numbers
are too heavy for younger persons and too light for older
persons. For this and other reasons, NutriBase shows you
recommended body weights from four sources: the 1959 Metropolitan
Life Insurance chart, the US National Center for Health
Statistics, North American Association for the Study of
Obesity, and the US Department of the Army. NutriBase
displays the heights and weights from these charts, showing
you the entries that are appropriate for your sex, height,
frame size, and age.
The Metropolitan
Life charts is organized by sex and body frame size (small,
medium, or large frame) and all the other charts are sex
and age-graded except for the North American Association
for the Study of Obesity, which lists weights by sex only.
Weight
Charts for Women
Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, 1959 - Females
| Height
| Small
Frame
| Medium
Frame
| Large
Frame
|
| 4'09"
| 90-97
| 94-106
| 102-118
|
| 4'10"
| 92-100
| 97-109
| 105-121
|
| 4'11"
| 95-103
| 100-112
| 108-124
|
| 5'00"
| 98-106
| 103-115
| 111-127
|
| 5'01"
| 101-109
| 106-118
| 114-130
|
| 5'02"
| 104-112
| 109-122
| 117-134
|
| 5'03"
| 107-115
| 112-126
| 121-138
|
| 5'04"
| 110-119
| 116-131
| 125-142
|
| 5'05"
| 114-123
| 120-135
| 129-146
|
| 5'06"
| 118-127
| 124-139
| 133-150
|
| 5'07"
| 122-131
| 128-143
| 137-154
|
| 5'08"
| 126-136
| 132-147
| 141-159
|
| 5'09"
| 130-140
| 136-151
| 145-164
|
| 5'10"
| 133-144
| 140-155
| 149-169
|
US
National Center for Health Statistics - Females
| Height
| 18-24
Yrs.
| 25-34
Yrs.
| 35-44
Yrs.
| 45-54
Yrs.
| 55-64
Yrs.
|
| 4'10"
| 114
| 123
| 133
| 132
| 135
|
| 4'11"
| 118
| 126
| 136
| 136
| 138
|
| 5'00"
| 121
| 130
| 139
| 139
| 142
|
| 5'01"
| 124
| 133
| 141
| 143
| 145
|
| 5'02"
| 128
| 136
| 144
| 146
| 148
|
| 5'03"
| 131
| 139
| 146
| 150
| 151
|
| 5'04"
| 134
| 142
| 149
| 153
| 154
|
| 5'05"
| 137
| 146
| 151
| 157
| 157
|
| 5'06"
| 141
| 149
| 154
| 160
| 161
|
| 5'07"
| 144
| 152
| 156
| 164
| 164
|
| 5'08"
| 147
| 155
| 159
| 168
| 167
|
North
American Association for the Study of Obesity - Females
| Height
| All
Ages
| Height
| All
Ages
|
| 4'10"
| 114
| 5'05"
| 137
|
| 4'11"
| 118
| 5'06"
| 140
|
| 5'00"
| 121
| 5'07"
| 144
|
| 5'01"
| 124
| 5'08"
| 147
|
| 5'02"
| 128
| 5'09"
| 150
|
| 5'03"
| 131
| 5'10"
| 153
|
| 5'04"
| 134
| -
| -
|
US
Army - Females
| Height
| 17-20
Yrs.
| 21-27
Yrs.
| 28-39
Yrs.
| 40+
Yrs.
|
| 4'10"
| 104
| 107
| 110
| 113
|
| 4'11"
| 107
| 110
| 114
| 117
|
| 5'00"
| 111
| 114
| 117
| 121
|
| 5'01"
| 115
| 118
| 121
| 125
|
| 5'02"
| 119
| 123
| 126
| 130
|
| 5'03"
| 123
| 126
| 130
| 134
|
| 5'04"
| 126
| 130
| 134
| 138
|
| 5'05"
| 130
| 134
| 138
| 142
|
| 5'06"
| 135
| 139
| 143
| 147
|
| 5'07"
| 139
| 143
| 148
| 151
|
| 5'08"
| 143
| 147
| 151
| 156
|
| 5'09"
| 147
| 151
| 155
| 160
|
| 5'10"
| 151
| 156
| 160
| 165
|
|
No
Consensus
One look at the charts will make it obvious that
there simply is no consensus as to what "ideal body
weight" should be. In reality, it is actually different
for every individual and is dependent on health,
body fat content and distribution, musculature,
age, activity, metabolism, and a host of other factors
that are not simple to measure accurately. For these
reasons, you and your physician or dietitian must
decide what your ideal weight should be. You probably
have an idea what that weight is. Start conservatively.
And if you reach your target weight and still feel
you need to trim off additional weight, you always
have option to set a new target goal.
|
Weight
Charts for Men
Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, 1959 - Male
| Height
| Small
Frame
| Medium
Frame
| Large
Frame
|
| 5'01"
| 105-113
| 111-122
| 119-134
|
| 5'02"
| 108-116
| 114-126
| 122-137
|
| 5'03"
| 111-119
| 117-129
| 125-141
|
| 5'04"
| 114-122
| 120-132
| 128-145
|
| 5'05"
| 117-126
| 123-136
| 131-149
|
| 5'06"
| 121-130
| 127-140
| 135-154
|
| 5'07"
| 125-134
| 131-145
| 140-159
|
| 5'08"
| 129-138
| 135-149
| 144-163
|
| 5'09"
| 133-143
| 139-153
| 148-167
|
| 5'10"
| 137-147
| 143-158
| 152-172
|
| 5'11"
| 141-151
| 147-163
| 157-177
|
| 6'00"
| 145-155
| 151-173
| 166-187
|
| 6'01"
| 149-160
| 155-173
| 166-187
|
| 6'02"
| 153-164
| 160-178
| 171-192
|
| 6'03"
| 157-168
| 165-183
| 175-197
|
US
National Center for Health Statistics - Male
| Height
| 18-24
Yr.
| 25-34
Yrs.
| 35-44
Yrs.
| 45-54
Yrs.
| 55-64
Yrs.
|
| 5'02"
| 130
| 139
| 146
| 148
| 147
|
| 5'03"
| 135
| 145
| 149
| 154
| 151
|
| 5'04"
| 139
| 151
| 155
| 158
| 156
|
| 5'05"
| 143
| 155
| 159
| 163
| 160
|
| 5'06"
| 148
| 159
| 164
| 167
| 165
|
| 5'07"
| 152
| 164
| 169
| 171
| 170
|
| 5'08"
| 157
| 168
| 174
| 176
| 174
|
| 5'09"
| 162
| 173
| 178
| 180
| 178
|
| 5'10"
| 166
| 177
| 183
| 185
| 183
|
| 5'11"
| 171
| 182
| 188
| 190
| 187
|
| 6'00"
| 175
| 186
| 192
| 194
| 192
|
| 6'01"
| 180
| 191
| 197
| 198
| 197
|
| 6'02"
| 185
| 196
| 202
| 204
| 201
|
North
American Association for the Study of Obesity - Males
| Height
| All
Ages
| Height
| All
Ages
|
| 5'00"
| 122
| 5'09"
| 161
|
| 5'01"
| 126
| 5'10"
| 166
|
| 5'02"
| 131
| 5'11"
| 171
|
| 5'03"
| 135
| 6'00"
| 175
|
| 5'04"
| 139
| 6'01"
| 179
|
| 5'05"
| 144
| 6'02"
| 184
|
| 5'06"
| 148
| 6'03"
| -
|
| 5'07"
| 152
| 6'04"
| -
|
| 5'08"
| 157
| -
| -
|
US
Army - Males
| Height
| 17-20
Yrs.
| 21-27
Yrs.
| 28-39
Yrs.
| 40+
Yrs.
|
| 5'00"
| 132
| 136
| 139
| 141
|
| 5'01"
| 136
| 140
| 144
| 146
|
| 5'02"
| 141
| 144
| 148
| 150
|
| 5'03"
| 145
| 149
| 153
| 155
|
| 5'04"
| 150
| 154
| 158
| 160
|
| 5'05"
| 155
| 159
| 163
| 165
|
| 5'06"
| 160
| 163
| 168
| 170
|
| 5'07"
| 165
| 169
| 174
| 176
|
| 5'08"
| 170
| 174
| 179
| 181
|
| 5'09"
| 175
| 179
| 184
| 186
|
| 5'10"
| 180
| 185
| 189
| 192
|
| 5'11"
| 185
| 189
| 194
| 197
|
| 6'00"
| 190
| 195
| 200
| 203
|
| 6'01"
| 195
| 200
| 205
| 208
|
| 6'02"
| 201
| 206
| 211
| 214
|
|
No
Consensus
The charts make it obvious that there is no consensus
as to what "ideal body weight" should be. In reality,
it is actually different for every individual and
is dependent on health, body fat content and distribution,
musculature, age, activity, metabolism, and a host
of other factors that are not simple to measure
accurately. For these reasons, you and your physician
or dietitian must decide what your ideal weight
should be. You probably have an idea what that weight
is. Start conservatively. And if you reach your
target weight and still feel you need to trim off
additional weight, you always have option to set
a new target goal.
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