f weight is so universal that it has been accepted as
normal, or physiological, whereas it is not normal, and is the result of
disease-producing and life-shortening influences.

The standards for weight at the various ages and heights have been
established by life insurance experience, but these standards, which
show an increase in weight as age advances, by no means reflect the
standards of health and efficiency. They merely indicate the average
condition of people accepted for life insurance, whose death rate--while
covered by life insurance premiums--is yet far above that obtaining
among people of the best physical type, who live a thoroughly hygienic
life.

MEN--OVER AVERAGE WEIGHTS
Experience of 43 American Companies--1885-1908.[G]
Number of Policyholders 186,579
-------+---------------+---------------+---------------+---------------
Ages | Overweight | Overweight | Overweight | Overweight
at | 5 to 10 lbs. | 15 to 20 lbs. | 25 to 45 lbs. | 50 to 80 lbs.
Entry | | | |
-------+---------------+---------------+---------------+---------------
| Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death | Death
| Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate
| Below | Above | Below | Above | Below | Above | Below | Above
|Std.[H]| Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std.
-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------
20-24 | 4% | ... | 4% | ... | ... | 1% | ... | 3%
25-29 | 7 | ... | 10 | ... | ... | 12 | ... | 17
30-34 | 1 | ... | 14 | ... | ... | 19 | ... | 34
35-39 | 0 | ... | ... | 1% | ... | 31 | ... | 55
40-44 | 6 | ... | ... | 10 | ... | 40 | ... | 75
45-49 | ... | 3% | ... | 9 | ... | 31 | ... | 51
50-56 | ... | 2 | ... | 21 | ... | 24 | ... | 49
57-62 | ... | 2 | ... | 25 | ... | 12 | ... | 38
-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------

The heaviest mortality (75 per cent. above the standard), is found among
those aged 40 to 44 who are 50 to 80 pounds overweight.

[G] _Medico-Actuarial Mortality Investigation_, Volume II, page 13,
compiled and published by The Association of Life Insurance Medical
Directors and The Actuarial Society of America.