ASK THE "DON'T DIET" DOCTOR

Dear Dr. Dorie:
I am a man who is 45 years old and 6’0” tall.  What is my ideal weight?  Are there other numbers, like the percentage of body fat, that I should focus on?
- Searching for Ideal

Dear Searching for Ideal:
Over the years, many “ideal standards” have been developed.  You can step on a scale to determine your weight, and then refer to a chart to determine whether your weight is within the “healthy range” for your gender and height.  You can also have your percentage of body fat estimated, and then check to see if this percentage falls in the “healthy range” for your gender and age.

However, even if you fall in the “healthy range,” this does not necessarily mean that you are truly healthy.  If you find yourself outside the “healthy range,” you may not necessarily be unhealthy, either.  So, what is the purpose of these numbers?  Charts like the body mass index were developed to provide a guideline for the assessment of risk factors for certain diseases, like diabetes or heart disease.  However, your physician would also need to consider information such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, other measures of blood chemistry, and results of a “stress test”  to make an accurate assessment of your health.

Besides health, it is also important to consider factors such as happiness, self-confidence, and inner peace.  These factors cannot be measured using a scale or by referring to a chart.  You can actually compromise health, happiness and other goals due to the increased stress and feelings of deprivation that can result from placing too much focus on weight control and reduction of body fat.

Rather than determining an “ideal standard” and trying to reach this ideal, focus instead on developing a lifestyle that allows you to reach your real goals.  Let go of weight control and focus on strategies to address the real cause of weight problems. Pay attention to the reasons why you eat, and learn how to have fun being active.  Focus on techniques to improve your self-image, and spend time enjoying the people and places that have meaning for you.

When you are eating the foods your body needs without overeating, enjoying activity on a regular basis, and focusing on the achievement of your real goals, you will end up at the weight that is right for you.  The only “ideal standard” you need is within you.

© 2006 Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, all rights reserved.  As one of America's leading experts on obesity and eating disorders, Dr. Dorie is the author of How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? (HarperCollins, 2003).  Visit www.DrDorie.com for more diet-free solutions to your food, weight and body worries.

Please share this diet-free solution with others!  This article may be reproduced in print or online, but only in its entirety along with copyright and website information as listed above.  READ MORE ARTICLES