Ideal Body Weight for Men

Over the past few years, obesity has been a major issue in the U.S. Consequently, many people have become more health conscious and are looking for ways to lose weight. Although most people are aware that being overweight is bad, not everyone realizes that being underweight can cause health issues as well. As a result, as more people become educated on weight control, the question of ideal body weight is raised. Even though many organizations chart ideal body weights for men based on age, height, and body type, there is no consensus on what the best weight for a man should be since it varies for each individual.

Measurement

• Between 1830 and 1850, the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet developed the Body Mass Index to help estimate the ideal body weight for men. Although it is highly controversial, it is still used as a measure of obesity. Later in 1942, a statistician named Louis Dublin developed one of the most commonly used weight chart for men. It was altered in 1959 and 1983 and is now called the Metropolitan Life Insurance Height and Weight Table. Along with this chart, some of the more popular measures for healthy body weight are created by the US Center for National Health Statistics, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, and the US Army. (Find links to most of the various methods of calculating ideal weights in the References and Resources sections).

The Facts

• Although several credible organizations have ideal weight charts for men, many of them provide different numbers. As a result, it is difficult to choose just one number as an ideal body weight for all men. Moreover, it is even difficult to choose one number for all men of a certain age or height. However, the trends are the same; a male in his twenties should be lighter than a male in his forties and a shorter male should weigh less than a taller male. If you fall within a close proximity of several charts, you are most likely at a healthy body weight. Nevertheless, the best way to discover what your personal body weight goal should be is to consult with a physician.

Considerations

• Many of the body weight charts have become controversial. The main reason is that they do not take into account body fat percentage. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a healthy athletic male with a lot of muscle and not a lot of fat may be considered overweight based on the charts. In addition, these charts do not consider fat distribution among the body, which has been known to be an important health factor.

Benefits

• Even though it is difficult to pick one number as an ideal weight for men, a weight range can be found for each individual male that is considered healthy for him. This is an important goal to strive for since being a healthy weight can increase your energy, stamina, and muscle definition. Moreover, you will highly decrease your risk of diseases associated with obesity such as heart complications and diabetes.

Prevention/Solution

• The best way to either prevent weight gain or to return to an ideal body weight is through proper diet and exercise. The fundamental key to any weight loss or control program is increasing the metabolic rate. Increasing your metabolism helps break down the food you eat rather than store the extra calories as fat. Thus, eating small meals more often and participating in cardiovascular exercise should be part of your daily routine.