Insurance Companies Determining Standard Body Measurements (Arbitrarily and Inconsistently)

Insurance companies created their own height and weight tables for charging fat policyholders, but there was no standardization. The Met Life table introduced in 1942 became the first industry-wide aligned table. These tables were based on self-reported data from policyholders and didn't consider factors like age, race, or health conditions. Some doctors even used these insurance charts as guidelines. Ansell Keys, a celebrity researcher, took on the challenge of finding a standardized system. He was known for his involvement in the low-fat diet craze and his controversial views on fatness.