Taber's Medical Dictionary
weight
(wāt)
To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.1. The gravitational force exerted on an object, usually by the earth. The unit of weight is the newton (1 newton equals 0.225 lb). The difference between weight and mass is that the weight of an object varies with the force of gravity, but the mass remains the same. For example, an object weighs less on the moon than on earth because the force of gravity is less on the moon; but the mass of the object is the same in both places.
SEE: mass (3)
Many diseases cause alterations of body weight (BW). BW decreases in Addison's disease, AIDS, cancer, chronic diarrhea, chronic infections, untreated type I diabetes mellitus, anorexia, prolonged lactation, marasmus, obstruction of the pylorus or thoracic duct, starvation, tuberculosis, and peptic ulcer.
Normal weight depends on the frame of the individual. SEE TABLE: 1983 Metropolitan Height and Weight Tables for Men and Women According to Frame, Ages 25 to 59
2. Emphasis. Relative contribution.
1983 Metropolitan Height and Weight Tables for Men and Women According to Frame, Ages 25 to 59
| Men | Women | ||||||||
| Height (in shoes)* | Weight in Pounds (in indoor clothing)† | Height (in shoes)* | Weight in Pounds (in indoor clothing)† | ||||||
| Ft. | In. | Small Frame | Medium Frame | Large Frame | Ft. | In. | Small Frame | Medium Frame | Large Frame |
| 5 | 2 | 128-134 | 131-141 | 138-150 | 4 | 10 | 102-111 | 109-121 | 118-131 |
| 5 | 3 | 130-136 | 133-143 | 140-153 | 4 | 11 | 103-113 | 111-123 | 120-134 |
| 5 | 4 | 132-138 | 135-145 | 142-156 | 5 | 0 | 104-115 | 113-126 | 122-137 |
| 5 | 5 | 134-140 | 137-148 | 144-160 | 5 | 1 | 106-118 | 115-129 | 125-140 |
| 5 | 6 | 136-142 | 139-151 | 146-164 | 5 | 2 | 108-121 | 118-132 | 128-143 |
| 5 | 7 | 138-145 | 142-154 | 149-168 | 5 | 3 | 111-124 | 121-135 | 131-147 |
| 5 | 8 | 140-148 | 145-157 | 152-172 | 5 | 4 | 114-127 | 124-138 | 134-151 |
| 5 | 9 | 142-151 | 148-160 | 155-176 | 5 | 5 | 117-130 | 127-141 | 137-155 |
| 5 | 10 | 144-154 | 151-163 | 158-180 | 5 | 6 | 120-133 | 130-144 | 140-159 |
| 5 | 11 | 146-157 | 154-166 | 161-184 | 5 | 7 | 123-136 | 133-147 | 143-163 |
| 6 | 0 | 149-160 | 157-170 | 164-188 | 5 | 8 | 126-139 | 136-150 | 146-167 |
| 6 | 1 | 152-164 | 160-174 | 168-192 | 5 | 9 | 129-142 | 139-153 | 149-170 |
| 6 | 2 | 155-168 | 164-178 | 172-197 | 5 | 10 | 132-145 | 142-156 | 152-173 |
| 6 | 3 | 158-172 | 167-182 | 176-202 | 5 | 11 | 135-148 | 145-159 | 155-176 |
| 6 | 4 | 162-176 | 171-187 | 181-207 | 6 | 0 | 138-151 | 148-162 | 158-179 |
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Citation
Venes, Donald, editor. "Weight." Taber's Medical Dictionary, 24th ed., F.A. Davis Company, 2021. Nursing Central, nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/737906/18/weight.
Weight. In: Venes DD, ed. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2021. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/737906/18/weight. Accessed January 3, 2025.
Weight. (2021). In Venes, D. (Ed.), Taber's Medical Dictionary (24th ed.). F.A. Davis Company. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/737906/18/weight
Weight [Internet]. In: Venes DD, editors. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2021. [cited 2025 January 03]. Available from: https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/737906/18/weight.
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