Maintain Healthy Weight

If you are too fat or too thin, your chances of developing
health problems are increased.

Being too fat is common in the United States. It is linked
with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, the most common
type of diabetes, certain cancers, and other types of illness.

Being too thin is a less common problem. It occurs with
anorexia nervosa and is linked with osteoporosis in women and
greater risk of early death in both women and men.

Whether your weight is "healthy" depends on how much of your
weight is fat, where in your body the fat is located, and whether
you have weight-related medical problems, such as
high blood pressure, or a family history of such problems.

What is a healthy weight for you? There is no exact answer
right now. Researchers are trying to develop more precise ways to
describe healthy weight. In the meantime, you can use the
guidelines suggested below to help judge if your weight is
healthy.

See if your weight is within the range suggested in the table
for persons of your age and height. The table
shows higher weights
for people 35 years and above than for younger adults. This is
because recent research suggests that people can be a little heavier as they grow older without
added risk to health. Just how much heavier is not yet clear.
The weight ranges given in the table are likely to change
based on research under way.

Table.     Suggested     Weights     for      Adults
 
 Height   Weight in pounds
 (without shoes)  (without clothes)
 
                      19  to 34        35  years
                       years            and over
   
   5'0"               97-128  108-138
   5'1"              101-132  111-143
   5'2"              104-137  115-148
   5'3"              107-141  119-152
   5'4"              111-146  122-157
   5'5"              114-150  126-162
   5'6"              118-155  130-167
   5'7"              121-160  134-172
   5'8"              125-164  138-178
   5'9"              129-169  142-183
   5'10"             132-174  146-188
   5'11"             136-179  151-194
   6'0"              140-184  155-199
   6'1"              144-189  159-205
   6'2"              148-195  164-210
   6'3"              152-200  168-216
   6'4"              156-205  173-222
   6'5"              160-211  177-228
   6'6"              164-216  182-234



Note: The higher weights in the ranges generally apply to men, who
tend to have more muscle and bone; the lower weights more
often apply to women, who have less muscle and bone.

Source: Derived from National Research Council, 1989.

Ranges of weights are given in the table because people of
the same height may have equal amounts of body fat but differ in
muscle and bone. The higher weights in the ranges are suggested
for people with more muscle and bone.

Weights above the range are believed to be unhealthy for most
people. Weights slightly below the range may be healthy for some
small-boned people but are sometimes linked to health problems,
especially if sudden weight loss has occurred.

Research also suggests that, for adults, body shape as well
as weight is important to health. Excess fat in the abdomen is
believed to be of greater health risk than that in the hips and
thighs. There are several ways to check body shape. Some require
the help of a doctor; others you can do yourself.

A look at your profile in the mirror may be enough to make it
clear that you have too much fat in the abdomen. Or you can check
your body shape this way:



  • Measure around your waist near your navel
    while you stand relaxed, not pulling in your stomach.
  • Measure around your hips, over the buttocks,
    where they are largest.
  • Divide the waist measure by the hips
    measure to get your waist-to-hip ratio.
    Research in adults suggests that ratios close
    to or above one are linked with greater risk
    for several diseases. However, ratios have
    not been defined for all populations or age groups.

If your weight is within the range in the table, if your
waist-to-hip ratio does not place you at risk, and if you have no
medical problem for which your doctor advises you to gain or lose
weight, there appears to be no health advantage to changing your
weight. If you do not meet all of these conditions, or if you are
not sure, you may want to talk to your doctor about how your
weight might affect your health and what you should do about it.

Heredity plays a role in body size and shape as do exercise
and what you eat. Some people seem to be able to eat more than
others and still maintain a good body size and shape.

No one plan for losing weight is best for everyone. If you
are not physically active, regular exercise may help you lose
weight and keep it off. (To see the calories expended in
some activities...) If you eat too much, decreasing your calorie
intake may help. However, getting enough of
some nutrients is difficult in diets of 1,200 calories or less.
Long-term success usually depends upon new and better lifelong
habits of both exercise and eating.

Do not try to lose weight too fast. A steady loss
of 1/2 to 1 pound a week until you reach
your goal is generally safe. Avoid crash
weight-loss diets that severely restrict the variety of
foods or the calories you can have.

Avoid other extreme approaches to losing weight. These
include inducing vomiting and using medications such as laxatives,
amphetamines, and diuretics. Such approaches are not appropriate
for losing weight and can be dangerous.

You probably do not need to try to lose weight if your weight
is already below the suggested range in the table and if you are
otherwise healthy. If you lose weight suddenly or for unknown
reasons, see a doctor. Unexplained weight loss may be an early
clue to a health problem.

Children need calories to grow and develop normally;
weight-reducing diets are usually not recommended for them.
Overweight children may need special help in choosing physical
activities they enjoy and nutritious diets with adequate but not
excessive calories.

Advice for today: Check to see if you are at a healthy
weight. If not, set reasonable weight goals and try for long-term
success through better habits of eating and exercise. Have
children's heights and weights checked regularly by a doctor.


TO INCREASE CALORIE EXPENDITURE--
be more physically active.

Activity                            Calories expended per hour*
 
                                          Man**                  Woman**
 
 Sitting quietly                          100   80
 Standing quietly                         120   95
 Light activity:                          300   240
   Cleaning house
   Office work
   Playing baseball
   Playing golf
 Moderate activity:                       460   370
   Walking briskly (3.5 mph)
   Gardening
   Cycling (5.5 mph)
   Dancing
   Playing basketball
 Strenuous activity:                      730   580
   Jogging (9 min./mile)
   Playing football
   Swimming
 Very strenuous activity:                 920   740
   Running (7 min./mile)
   Racquetball
   Skiing


*May vary depending on environmental conditions.

**Healthy man, 175 lbs; healthy woman, 140 lbs


Source: Derived from McArdle, et al., Exercise Physiology,
1986.

TO DECREASE CALORIE INTAKE--
Eat a variety of foods that is low
in calories and high in nutrients: