My grandma is 62 years old. She is five feet five inches and weighs 115 pounds, and she is trying to lose weight. What is a healthy weight for that size and age of woman? How can we help her realize she shouldn't lose any more weight? We are concerned for her safety.

Donald

Your grandmother certainly does not need to lose any weight. A good general rule of thumb for an appropriate weight for height is to give 100 pounds for the first five feet of height and add five pounds for every inch over five feet (seven pounds for men). This means your grandmother should weigh about 125 pounds at five feet five inches. While 115 pounds is not necessarily unhealthy for her, anything much less than that would be. Bone structure plays a part as well -- a very small-boned person would weigh a bit less than this rough measure, while a large-boned person would weigh a bit more.

Now, if your grandmother is concerned about being flabby (and one can be flabby even if one is not fat), then she should exercise. Exercise, especially weight lifting after appropriate instruction, will help tone muscles. Even more important, weight lifting and other weight-bearing exercise will help maintain the strength of bones and decrease the risks of osteoporosis. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, but swimming is not due to the buoyancy of the water.

If you tell your grandmother the little rule of thumb from above and she still thinks she needs to lose weight, then I suggest a visit to her family doctor. She may have a body-image problem or an eating disorder that will require additional help and counseling. She may even have a medical condition that is causing her to lose weight without trying.