Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-31
WEIGHT AND LONGEVITY
BY H. Addington Bruce


TN a general way it has long been known
I that, for the early years of life, 20
90 be somewhat overweight is a health ad-
vantage, while, for the later years, it is de-
sirable to be somewhat underweght for
ones height and age. Until recently, how
ever, no attempt has been made to fix with
precision the weight-height ratios conducive
to longevity.
Now, however the attempt has been made
by insurance statisticians. Going carefully
through the mortality records of their vari-
Gus companies, they have arrived at cOnclu-
sions of interest to everybody and of partic-
ular interest to all who have reached middle
age.
For, 1T appears from a bulletin Of the Met
rOpolitan Life Insurance company, from the
age of thirty onward the lowest deathra$e is
associated with an increasing underweight
for advancing years. SO that, while it may
be thought "natural'/tO grow heavier as one
grows older, if length of years is to be at
tanned any tendency of this sort should be
vigorously combated
More specifically, for persons fifty years of
age the mortality records indicate that the
most favorable weight, as a rule, is thirty to
forty pounds below the average weight for
that age. Between thirty and fifty the most
favorable weight ranges from ten to twenty
pounds underWeight.
To be sure, effort to achieve underweight
and to avoid overweight is not equally neces-
SdTy lOf all types OIL IlluuIC-dS6u people,
Thus we are Odd:
Determination must be made between
types of build of overweight persons, it be-
ing shown that among OyerWeights having
large chest capacity the conditions of mOrtali-
ty are more favorable than among those of
small chest capacity.
"Overweights who have large trunks are
better than those having small chest and
large abdominal girths.'
And, as regards differing height types:
among stort men-that is, those below
feet inches in height-at the age period
forty to forty-four years, an excess of 20
per cent in weight involves an added NOR
tally Of 80 per cent above the normal A
40 per cent excess in weight in such individ-
uals involves increased mortality c" near
ly 80 per GENT.
Among tall men-that is, those men over
feet 10 inches in height-the adverse stu
alton is even more marked. For among
these, at ages forty to forty-four, 20 per
cent excess in weight carries 40 per cent
increase in mortality, and 10 per cent ex-
cess in weight doubles the mortality"
SO far as the earlier years are concerned
the years up to thirty-the statisticians'
findings stress the desirability Of an over
weight of about ten pounds up to the age of
twenty-fOur. Thereafter the overweight
should taper down until at thirty so-called
normal weight for height and age is
reached. Then, as stated, the balance shifts,
to make underWeight more helpful to lOngev-
ity than overweight.
All of which, of course emphasizes the
special importance of restriction of diet and
the taking of other Weight-reducing meas
ures in the case of the middle-aged who find
themselves becoming at all corpulent. The
neglect of such precautions is undoubtedly
due in part to the increasing middle-age
mortality from degeneratiye diseases of the
heart kidneys and other organs.
Copyright, 1929