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Mr. Wang, 56 years old, is a sales manager of a foreign trade company. In recent years, he has noticed that he has gained a significant amount of weight, especially his waistline. This makes him, who has always paid attention to image, very troubled. Finally, at the suggestion of his family, Mr. Wang decided to go to the hospital for a comprehensive physical examination to see how he was doing.
At the physical examination center, Mr. Wang met the attending doctor, Zhang Li. After learning more about Mr. Wang's condition, Dr. Zhang said, "Mr. Wang, you are 175 cm tall and weigh 82 kg, and you are mildly obese according to the BMI (Body Mass Index) standard. However, considering that you are 56 years old, this weight is not too high. "
Mr. Wang was a little surprised: "Dr. Zhang, I always thought I was quite fat, but I didn't expect it to be too serious in your opinion. So, what is the normal weight of a man my age?"
Dr. Zhang explains, "There is no one absolute standard answer to this question. The evaluation of weight needs to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as age, height, and body fat percentage. Generally speaking, it is ideal for men around the age of 55 to maintain a BMI between 23 and 25. Of course, this is only a reference value, and everyone's situation is different. For example, if you have more muscle, your BMI may be higher, but that doesn't mean you're not healthy. "
Mr. Wang nodded: "I usually like to exercise, go to the gym to exercise, and practice some strength." It also affects weight, right?"
Dr. Zhang approvingly, "Yes, it's good that you can keep exercising. Moderate strength training helps to increase muscle mass and improve basal metabolism, which is very good for health. Still, I recommend that you control your weight, especially your waistline. Middle-aged men are prone to abdominal obesity, which increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. "
Mr. Wang nodded again and again: "Doctor Zhang, what you said is very reasonable. I'll be sure to pay attention when I get back. By the way, I would also like to ask, apart from BMI, is there any other indicator that can judge whether the weight is normal?"
"In addition to BMI, we can also measure body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio and other indicators.
Body fat percentage reflects the proportion of body fat to body weight and is an important indicator to assess the degree of obesity. Generally speaking, for men around the age of 55, it is more appropriate to control the body fat percentage between 20% and 25%.
The waist-to-hip ratio reflects the distribution of body fat, and it is generally recommended that the waist-to-hip ratio of men should not exceed 0.9. Of course, these indicators are only a reference, and the most important thing is to follow the doctor's advice based on your own specific situation. "
At this age, changes in weight tend to be the focus of their attention. Some people worry too much about obesity, while others find that they may not be fat. So, what kind of weight is normal for a man around 55 years old?
From a medical point of view, judging whether the weight is normal or not requires a combination of factors.
The first is BMI, which is body mass index. It combines two factors, height and weight, and is an important indicator to assess the degree of obesity. Generally speaking, it is ideal for men around the age of 55 to maintain a BMI between 23 and 25. But BMI also has its limitations, it doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle. For some people with higher muscle mass, BMI may be high, but that doesn't mean they're necessarily unhealthy.
The second is body fat percentage, which is also an important indicator. It reflects the proportion of body fat to body weight. Generally speaking, for men around the age of 55, it is more appropriate to control the body fat percentage between 20% and 25%. Excessive body fat percentage, especially excess belly fat, increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The third is the waist-to-hip ratio, which is an indicator worth paying attention to. It reflects the distribution of body fat. The waist-to-hip ratio for men is generally recommended to be no more than 0.9. A coarse waist circumference is indicative of abdominal obesity and also increases health risks.
Of course, these indicators are only a reference and do not fully represent a person's health. Everyone's physique is different, and so is their health status. Some people may be overweight, but all health indicators are normal; Some people, although they are of a normal weight, may have some health problems.
Therefore, the most important thing is to combine your own specific situation, follow the doctor's advice, have regular physical examinations, and find and solve problems in time.