The United States is facing an obesity epidemic, based on a widespread sedentary lifestyle filled with unhealthy diets. Women tend to care more about weight loss than men, due to social factors. However, men are facing the same risks associated with obesity as women. Over time obesity leads to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. There are certain weight recommendations for men based on height that you can follow when determining your ideal weight. However, these are not set in stone and other factors play a role.
Averages
The Centers for Disease Control gathered data from 2003 to 2006 and concluded that the average weight for American men is 194.7 lbs. based on an average height of 5 feet 9.5 inches. Overall, people are increasing in height. There is a misconception that men have room to gain more weight to make up for increased height. However, the height increase is minimal. The National Institutes of Health reports that the average height of a man in 1960 was 5 feet 8 inches tall and in 2002 is 5 feet 9.5 inches. In 1960, the average weight for this height was 166 lbs. and in 2002 it's 191 lbs. Although men are increasing in height, they are rapidly increasing in weight.
Factors
Genes play a role in how tall you will be. Generally, children are slightly taller than their parents. The way you carry weight is also due in part to hereditary. If your father gains weight easily around the midsection, then you are more susceptible to weight gain in the same area. Genes also determine your frame size, or how big your bones are. The larger your frame, the more you will naturally weigh. Given such a circumstance, you will weigh more at the same height as another man who has a smaller frame.
Recommendations
Weight recommendations for men are based on height and your frame size. The ideal weight for a a man, 5 feet 8 inches is generally between 139 and 169 lbs., according to the Rush University Medical Center. A few pounds can be added or deducted if you have a particularly small or large frame size.
Keep in mind that the recommended weight decreases as you age, given the likelihood of reduced muscle mass. Ask your doctor for a weight assessment to properly determine your ideal weight if you are unsure.
Considerations
Although men are getting heavier, children are increasing in weight at an alarming weight. The National Institutes of Health reports that 22 million kids under the age of five are considered overweight. By being heavyset as a child, you increase your risk of being overweight as an adult. Although women in the United States are increasing in weight, there is a cultural view that they should be thin while men are expected to be big as a way of being strong. However, men are increasingly big in the abdomen and not in a muscular way. By eating a healthy diet and exercising, you can reach an appropriate weight for your height.
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