‘Tis the season of New Year’s resolutions, and losing weight is always at the top of everybody’s list. Health club memberships boom, and sports stores rack up the profits on sweat machines, aerobics classes and magic health food potions.
For all you weight-challenged folks out there, Met Life has bad news for you.
First, begin with the standard gauge of weight, the Body Mass Index. This is an admittedly vague standard that is one size fits all, but it’s a start. Consider an average male 5’10 inches tall. The BMI standards are for normal (130 – 170 lbs), overweight (170 – 210 lbs) and obese (over 210 lbs).
Statistically 2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese. If you go by the gold standard of weight guidelines, 95% of Americans are overweight or obese. Hah! You thought those skinny models were cheating! (Israel just banned some of the skinnier models – Jews, how the love their food…)
Met Life developed weight tables in 1943 (slightly revised in 1983) that tell a whole different story. These tables are for ideal weight based on mortality rates. That is, statistically the best weight for living the longest life – isn’t that the end zone we all strive for?
The ideal Met Life weights are based on bone structure (they tell you how to determine this). For our average 5’10” male the Met Life standards are for small frame (144 -154 lbs), medium frame (151 – 163) and large frame (158 – 180).
Thus a small frame 5’10” man would according to BMI think he’s okay at 170 lbs. In fact, he’s 25 lbs overweight. If you’re not really worried about being overweight at 210 lbs – hello! – you need to lose 65 lbs.
Most gym memberships drop off drastically in February and March as all those New Year’s resolutions fade. Do yourself a favor and bookmark the Met Life tables – print them out – post them on the refrigerator. Hang in there. Lose those pounds!
Live long and prosper.
