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Family Practice Vol. 17, No. 4, 348-351
© Oxford University Press 2000

Selections from Current Literature

What is the ideal body weight?

Samuel A Sandowski

Department of Family Practice, South Nassau Communities Hospital, 2445 Oceanside Road, Oceanside, NY 11572, USA.

Sandowski SA. What is the ideal body weight? Family Practice 2000; 17: 348–351.

The question of ideal body weight historically is a subject of study that raises more questions than answers, i.e. is obesity linked with morbidity and/or mortality and, thus, important in medical management? What, if any, is the lower healthy limit for body mass index? In 1869, Quetelet described a formula for body mass index (weight in kg/ height m2) which assumes a certain amount of body fat, based on weight, and corrected for height. In a 1959 study, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company suggested ‘ideal’ body weights for men and women based on weight, height and body frame.1 However, co-morbid factors such as smoking and family history for diseases are not considered as variables in this survey. Today, ideal body weight remains controversial.

Body mass index (BMI) is categorized by the International Obesity Task Force as:

  • 18.5–24.9 = Healthy weight,
  • 25.0–29.9 = Overweight,
  • 30.0–34.9 = Class I obesity,
  • 35.0–39.9 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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