     
          Your 'right' weight depends a lot on whose recommendations you
     choose.  The major statistical studies on which most recommendations
     are based are the 1959 BUILD AND BLOOD PRESSURE STUDY (Society of
     Actuaries) and the BUILD STUDY 1979 (Society of Actuaries et al.). 
     From these combined with insurance industry mortality data, the
     Metropolitan Life Insurance Company created tables of "Desirable
     Weights for Ages 25-59" in 1959 and again in 1983.  These are shown on
     the next screen.
     
          The 1983 table is more liberal than the 1959 table, and some
     researchers were critical of one or both tables.  The Gerontology
     Research Center did its own analysis of the insurance data and derived
     a unisex table which distinguishes desirable weights by age.  This
     table is shown on the second screen following.
     
          Other researchers have criticised all of the tables for failure
     to correct for the effects of smoking.  Since smokers are
     statistically thinner but less healthy than non-smokers, failure to
     control for smoking has the effect of understating the benefits of
     less weight.  A reanalysis of the 1979 BUILD STUDY by the resulting
     rules generates weights very similar to the 1959 Metropolitan
     recommendations.
     
                       Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
                       DESIRABLE WEIGHTS FOR AGES 25 to 59
     
                        1959 TABLE                 1983 TABLE
     
     Height          Men         Women          Men         Women
     4'1O"                       91-119                    1OO-131
     4'11"                       93-122                    1O1-134
     5'                          96-125                    1O3-137
     5'1"          1O7-136       99-128       123-145      1O5-14O
     5'2"          11O-139      1O2-131       125-148      1O8-144
     5'3"          113-143      1O5-135       127-151      111-148
     5'4"          116-147      1O8-139       129-155      114-152
     5'5"          119-151      111-143       131-159      117-156
     5'6"          123-156      115-147       133-163      12O-16O
     5'7"          127-161      119-151       135-167      123-164
     5'8"          131-165      123-155       137-171      126-167
     5'9"          135-169      127-16O       139-175      129-17O
     5'1O"         139-174      131-165       141-179      132-173
     5'11"         143-179      135-17O       144-183      135-176
     6'            147-184                    147-187
     6'1"          151-189                    15O-192
     6'2"          155-194                    153-197
     6'3"          159-199                    157-2O2
     
                           Gerontology Research Center
                RECOMMENDED WEIGHTS FOR BOTH SEXES (1985) BY AGE
                                        
     HEIGHT       2O-29 yr.   3O-39 yr.   4O-49 yr.   5O-59 yr.   6O-69yr.
     4'1O"         84-111      92-119      99-127     1O7-135     115-143
     4'11"         87-115      95-123     1O3-131     111-139     119-147
     5'            9O-119      98-127     1O7-135     115-144     124-152
     5'1"          93-123     1O1-131     111-14O     119-149     128-157
     5'2"          96-127     1O5-135     115-145     123-154     132-163
     5'3"          99-131     1O8-14O     119-149     127-159     136-169
     5'4"         1O2-135     112-145     123-154     131-164     14O-174
     5'5"         1O5-14O     115-149     127-159     135-169     144-179
     5'6"         1O9-144     119-154     131-164     139-174     148-184
     5'7"         112-148     122-159     135-169     143-179     152-189
     5'8"         116-153     126-163     139-174     147-185     157-195
     5'9"         119-157     13O-168     143-179     151-19O     162-2O1
     5'1O"        123-162     134-173     147-184     155-196     167-2O7
     5'11"        126-167     137-178     151-19O     159-2O1     172-213
     6'           129-171     141-183     155-195     163-2O7     177-219
     6'1"         133-176     145-188     159-2O1     169-213     182-225
     6'2"         137-181     149-194     163-2O6     174-219     187-232
     6'3"         141-186     153-199     167-212     179-225     192-238
     6'4"         144-191     157-2O5     171-218     184-231     197-244