Standard Weight According to Height & Age

Written by Becky Miller

17 October, 2013

The standard weight for men and women according to height and age varies depending on which chart you consult. Standard weight is a term used by the medical profession and insurance industry that refers to how much you should weigh based on your height. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company developed height-weight tables in 1943 when being underweight was more of a health concern than being overweight.

History

Revised in 1983 and again in 1999, the MET Life height-weight tables were developed and are still being used as a tool to standardize the identification of those persons having the lowest mortality rates. These tables started out being considered merely recommended guidelines for the average person, but evolved into the standard and a means for physicians and insurance companies to monitor patients and encourage them to conform to a healthy weight.

Women

How to Gauge if My Height and Weight Is Healthy

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The MET Life tables for women apply to ages 25 to 59 and assume a 1-inch heel and 3 lbs. of clothing. A women who is 5 feet, 3 inches should weigh 111 to 124 lbs. if she has a small frame, 121 to 135 lbs. with a medium frame and 131 to 147 lbs. with a large frame. A woman who is 5 feet, 6 inches with a small frame should weigh 120 to 133 lbs., 130 to 144 lbs. with a medium frame and 140 to 159 lbs. with a large frame. Women who measure 5 feet, 9 inches and have a small frame have a standard weight of 129 to 142 lbs. A medium frame is 139 to 153 lbs. and a large frame is 149 to 170 lbs.

The MET Life tables for women apply to ages 25 to 59 and assume a 1-inch heel and 3 lbs.
with a medium frame and 140 to 159 lbs.

Determining Frame Size

Frame size for women according to the MET is based on elbow breadth when the arm is bent to 90 degrees at the elbow. If you are 4 feet, 10 inches to 5 feet, 3 inches tall and your elbow breadth measures 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches, you have a medium frame. For women 5 feet, 4 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches tall, the breadth for a medium frame is 2 3/8 to 2 5/8 inches. Women 6 feet and taller with an elbow breadth of 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches have a medium frame. Narrower elbow breadths than those listed mean you have a small frame, while wider measurements mean you have a large frame.

Frame size for women according to the MET is based on elbow breadth when the arm is bent to 90 degrees at the elbow.
If you are 4 feet, 10 inches to 5 feet, 3 inches tall and your elbow breadth measures 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches, you have a medium frame.

Military

Normal Weight for a 5'4" Girl

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Each branch of the military has different requirements to enlist. The Air Force uses the same weight requirements for men and women of the same height. If you are 5 feet, 9 inches, you must weigh between 128 and 186 lbs. to enlist. The Marines chart is similar for men, but has different requirements for women. For instance, a woman who is 5 feet, 9 inches can’t weigh more than 169 lbs. The Army has different requirements for men and women, for prior service and non-prior service, as well as classifications by age. A woman who is 5 feet, 9 inches must weigh between 154 and 172 lbs.

Each branch of the military has different requirements to enlist.
The Air Force uses the same weight requirements for men and women of the same height.