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.
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Source: Derived from National Research Council, 1989.
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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.
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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
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Source: Derived from McArdle, et al., Exercise Physiology, 1986.
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TO DECREASE CALORIE INTAKE-- Eat a variety of foods that is low in calories and high in nutrients:
Eat less fat and fatty foods.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, and breads and cereals -- without fats and sugars added in preparation and at the table.
Eat less sugars and sweets.
Drink little or no alcoholic beverages.
Eat smaller portions; limit second helpings.
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The cornerstone of all weight loss programs is physical activity and calorie restriction.
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Consumer
April 1996, updated January 1999
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