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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Same weight not same size

DEAR DR. GOTT: My mother is 38 years old, weighs 128 pounds and is 5-foot-9. I am 16 years old, weight 135 pounds and am 5-foot-6. She looks bigger than me and does not fit into my clothes, so why do I weigh more than she does?

DEAR READER: Two people of the same weight can look drastically different. One pound of muscle is smaller than one pound of fat, so it is possible for someone muscular to weigh more than an individual of the same size who isn’t as muscular. Perhaps you are simply more muscular than she.

Another factor is weight distribution. Everyone carries weight differently. A person who carries his or her weight around the middle may need larger sizes than a person of the same weight who has a more evenly distributed weight.

Finally, there is bone structure. Women tend to have wider hips than men. Having children may further increase hip width. You may have a bone structure more like your father than your mother, which causes you to carry weight differently.

Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com.