NOTES ON OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT How many people after age 35 have a conformation of body that is in accord with proper ideals of health and symmetry? The average individual, as age progresses, gains weight until he reaches old age, when the weight usually decreases. This movement of weight is so universal that it has been accepted as normal, or physiological, whereas it is not normal, and is the result of disease-producing and life-shortening influences. The standards for weight at the various ages and heights have been established by life insurance experience, but these standards, which show an increase in weight as age advances, by no means reflect the standards of health and efficiency. They merely indicate the average condition of people accepted for life insurance, whose death rate--while covered by life insurance premiums--is yet far above that obtaining among people of the best physical type, who live a thoroughly hygienic life. MEN--OVER AVERAGE WEIGHTS Experience of 43 American Companies--1885-1908.[G] Number of Policyholders 186,579 -------+---------------+---------------+---------------+--------------- Ages | Overweight | Overweight | Overweight | Overweight at | 5 to 10 lbs. | 15 to 20 lbs. | 25 to 45 lbs. | 50 to 80 lbs. Entry | | | | -------+---------------+---------------+---------------+--------------- | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Below | Above | Below | Above | Below | Above | Below | Above |Std.[H]| Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. -------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------- 20-24 | 4% | ... | 4% | ... | ... | 1% | ... | 3% 25-29 | 7 | ... | 10 | ... | ... | 12 | ... | 17 30-34 | 1 | ... | 14 | ... | ... | 19 | ... | 34 35-39 | 0 | ... | ... | 1% | ... | 31 | ... | 55 40-44 | 6 | ... | ... | 10 | ... | 40 | ... | 75 45-49 | ... | 3% | ... | 9 | ... | 31 | ... | 51 50-56 | ... | 2 | ... | 21 | ... | 24 | ... | 49 57-62 | ... | 2 | ... | 25 | ... | 12 | ... | 38 -------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------- The heaviest mortality (75 per cent. above the standard), is found among those aged 40 to 44 who are 50 to 80 pounds overweight. [G] _Medico-Actuarial Mortality Investigation_, Volume II, page 13, compiled and published by The Association of Life Insurance Medical Directors and The Actuarial Society of America. [H] The standard death rate is that experienced by average insurance risks of the same age, according to the Medico-Actuarial Committee.