Guidelines for Healthy Weight

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 341; no. 6; pp. 427 - 434
• Main Authors: Willett, Walter C, Dietz, William H, Colditz, Graham A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 05-08-1999
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; Adult; Aging - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Constitution; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Disorders of blood lipids. Hyperlipoproteinemia; Electric Impedance; Female; Guidelines; Guidelines as Topic; Health risk assessment; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Mortality; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnosis; Reference Values; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Skinfold Thickness; Weight control; Weight Gain; Endocrinopathy; Human; Hypertension; Obesity; Prognosis; Adipose tissue; Nutrition disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary heart disease; Non insulin dependent diabetes; Body mass index; Complication; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199908053410607

Excess body fat is a cause of cardiovascular diseases, several important cancers, and numerous other medical conditions
1
and is a growing problem in many countries. In the United States, for example, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity increased by approximately 30 percent from 1980 to 1994.
2
In this review we consider the assessment of body fat and the definition of a healthy body weight for an adult. We also discuss how clinicians can use this information in caring for patients. Because overt obesity has undisputed adverse consequences for health, our focus is on lesser degrees of adiposity, the consequences of which . . .