Chart weights

We have discussed this before but I wanted to bring this up again because I have had several patients recently bring up the weight "they should be according to the charts". The "charts" suggest a weight based on height: 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and then 5-8 pounds for each additional inch. When you are 18 years old, this may be a reasonable nymber to strive for, but as we get older, it is clearly not easy to mainatin those "chart" weights. (By the way, who is the person/people that established these charts? Are they the same ones that told us not to go swimming after we eat because we may get stomach cramps and drown?)

We all have differentbuilds/body types/muscles structures and it is my belief that goal weights should be most definitely individualized to account for these differences, including the age of the person.

Different subject; On Saturday I saw a patient (contest word: Billie Crystal) who had a difficult weight loss week and she said that what damaged her efforts were small Snickers bars. I asked her where she got them from and she told me in the previous weeks' shopping she bought it for the house. The easy behavior modification recommendation for anyone trying to lose weight: Do NOT keep any challenging food sources in your house. The more readily available the damaging food source, the more likely it is that you will be tempted. These food sources have a way of calling you by your first name when you walk by them in your kitchen. If they are not in your home, you would have to hop into the car, drive to 7/11 and buy it. Less chance f that happening!