When the frame is part of the picture

While the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company first developed "ideal weight" tables in 1942 and subsequently (1959) provided desired weight tables based on 4 different "frame sizes", it was not until the 1983 tables that frame size was defined by measurements of elbow breadth. Recent studies, however, question the validity of using elbow breadth to measure frame size, pointing out that in considerations of elbow breadth to fat-free mass a possible relationship between fat-free mass and overall fatness must be considered. As a determinant of fat-free mass, body frame may be a factor that predisposes individuals to certain risk factors for heart disease. The relationships among frame size, fat-free mass, and body fat content require further study. (wz)