Best body weight revealed

Experts say they have now established the best body weight – keeping the risk of death to a minimum for people with healthy lifestyles.

The analysis of research involving one and a half million people confirms the health benefits of keeping to World Health Organisation guidelines for "normal" weight.

Most people in many developed countries are now overweight – rather than normal – according to WHO guidelines.

The findings, released by the US National Institutes of Health, suggest a body mass index of between 20 and 24.9 is linked to the lowest risk of death.

This means a weight of between ten stone and 12 stone 5lbs for someone of 5ft 10 in – and a weight between nine and 11 stone for someone of 5ft 6in.

In the USA some 17 per cent of women and 11 per cent of men are now severely obese.

The findings show a healthy, female non-smoker who was overweight faced a 13 per cent increased risk of dying compared with someone of normal weight.

Researcher Dr Amy Berrington de Gonzalez said: "By combining data on nearly 1.5 million participants from 19 studies we were able to evaluate a wide range of body mass index levels and other characteristics that may influence the relationship between excess weight and risk of death."

Body mass index can be calculated at the following page.

Berrington de Gonzalez B, Hartge P, Cerhan JR, Flint AJ, Hannan L, MacInnis RJ, Moore SC, Tobias GS, Anton-Culver H, Beane Freeman L, W. Beeson L, Clipp SL, English DR, Folsom AR, Freedman DM, Giles G, Hakansson N, Henderson KD, Hoffman-Bolton J, Hoppin JA, Koenig KL, Lee IM, Linet MS, Park Y, Pocobelli G, Schatzkin A, Sesso HD, Weiderpass E, Willcox BJ, Wolk A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Willett WC, Thun MJ. Body-Mass Index and Mortality– Prospective Analysis of 1.46 Million White Adults. Dec. 2, 2010, NEJM, Vol. 362, No. 23.