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What is the ideal weight for my height and age?

Many people want to know the answer to this question: How much is my ideal weight? There isn't an ideal weight that is healthy that is appropriate for everyone, since several aspects play a part.

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This includes the ratio of muscle-fat to age, height, sex, and body fat distribution, or the body's shape.

A person who is overweight may increase the likelihood of developing a number of ailments, including obesity or type 2 diabetes high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues.

It is not the case that everyone who has extra weight has health problems. However, the researchers of Trusted Source believe that although these extra pounds could not have a direct impact on a person' s health but a lack of control could cause issues in the future.

Read this article to learn about four methods of working out your ideal weight.

Method 1. BMI (Body Mass Index) ( BMI)

Body mass index (BMI) is a widely used tool for deciding whether the person is of a suitable body weight. It evaluates a person's weight in relation to height.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source:

• A BMI that is less than 18.5 is a sign that someone is overweight.
• A BMI Between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal.
• A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is overweight.
• A BMI higher than 30 means you are obese.

Body mass index calculator

To calculate your BMI, you can use our BMI calculators or look over our charts below.

BMI Calculator

Units:U.S. (Imperial)MetricHeight:FeetInchesWeight:PoundsCALCULATEThis BMI calculator is for informational purposes only. Consult a healthcare provider before making any medical decisions. BMI may be an ineffective measure of risk to health and may not be accurate because it does not determine the percentage or distribution of body fat. BMI calculation source: National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Weight and height guide chart

The below chart of weight and height makes use of BMI tables in the National Institute of HealthTrusted Source to calculate the weight of a person and what their weight is for their height.

Height	Weight
	Normal	Overweight	Obesity	Severe obesity
4ft 10'' (58'')	91 to 115 lbs.	Between 119 and 138 pounds.	143 to 186 lbs.	191 to 258 pounds.
4ft 11'' (59'')	From 94 to 119 pounds.	124 to 143 lbs.	between 148 and 193 lbs.	Between 198 and 267 pounds.
5ft (60'')	Between 97 and 123 lbs.	128 to 148 pounds.	from 153 to 199lbs.	from 204 to 276 pounds.
5ft 1'' (61'')	100 to 127 lbs.	from 132 to 153lbs.	between 158 and 206 lbs.	from 211 to 285 lbs.
5ft 2'' (62'')	Between 104 and 131 pounds.	Between 136 and 158 lbs.	from 164 to 213lbs.	218-295 395 to 295 lbs.
5ft 3'' (63'')	107 to 135 lbs.	141 to 163 lbs.	Between 169 and 220 pounds.	From 225 to 304 lbs.
5ft 4'' (64'')	110 to 140 pounds.	145 to 169 lbs.	From 174 to 227 pounds.	from 232 to 314lbs.
5ft 5'' (65'')	From 114 to 144 lbs.	150-174 lbs.	Between 180 and 234 pounds.	from 240 to 324lbs.
5ft 6'' (66'')	118 to 148 lbs.	from 155 to 179lbs.	from 186 to 241 pounds.	247-334 pounds.
5ft 7'' (67'')	From 121 to 153 pounds.	From 159 to 185 pounds.	191 to 249 lbs.	From 255 to 344 lbs.
5ft 8'' (68'')	From 125 to 158 pounds.	From 164 to 190 pounds.	from 197 to 256lbs.	262 to 354 lbs.
5ft 9'' (69'')	128 to 162 lbs.	from 169 to 196lbs.	from 203 to 263lbs.	Between 270 and 365 lbs.
5ft 10'' (70'')	From 132 to 167 pounds.	174 to 202 lbs.	209 to 271 lbs.	278 to 376 lbs.
5ft 11'' (71'')	Between 136 and 172 lbs.	between 179 and 208 lbs.	215 - 279 pounds.	286-386 286-386 lbs.
6ft (72'')	140 to 177lbs.	Between 184 and 213 pounds.	221 to 287lbs.	294 to 397 pounds.
6ft 1'' (73'')	from 144 to 182lbs.	189 to 219 lbs.	227 to 295 lbs.	302 to 408 lbs.
6ft 2'' (74'')	between 148 and 186 pounds.	194 to 225 lbs.	between 233 and 303 lbs.	311 to 420 lbs.
6ft 3'' (75'')	from 152 to 192lbs.	200-232 lbs.	From 240 to 311 pounds.	319 - 431 lbs.
6ft 4'' (76'')	156 to 197 lbs.	From 205 to 238 lbs.	246-320 325 to 320 pounds.	328 to 443 lbs.
BMI	19 to 24	25 to 29	30 to 39	40 to 54

What is the problem with BMI?

BMI is a very simple measurement. While it does take height into account it doesn't take into account other factors like:

• measurements of the hip or waist
• The proportion or distribution of fat
• percent of muscle mass

The same can affect health.

For example, athletes who are high-performance, tend to be very healthy and slim with little body fat. They may have a large BMI because they have more strength, but this isn't a sign that they're overweight.

BMI is also an estimate of whether the person's weight is healthy, and it can be used to gauge the trends of population studies.

But, it shouldn't be the sole way for an individual to assess whether their weight is ideal or not.

Method 2: Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)

The measurement of waist-to-hip for a person compares their waist size with that on their hips.

Studies have shown that those who have more body fat in their middle are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as diabetes.

The greater the waist measurement in proportion to the hips, greater is the risk.

In this way, WHR, or waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a valuable instrument to determine whether the person is healthy in weight and body size.

Check your waist-to hip ratio.

1. Take a measurement around your waist to determine the most narrow part, which is usually about a few inches above the belly button.

2. Dividing this number by measurement of your hip's largest point.

If the waist of a person is 28 inches, and their hips are 36 inches, they will divide the 28 by 36. This gives them 0.77.

What is the meaning of it?

How WHR affects the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is different for females and males, because they tend to have different body shapes.

Evidence suggests that WHR can impactTrusted Source the risk of CVD in the following manner:

In males

• Below 0.9 Amount: Risk for having cardiovascular illnesses is minimal.
• From 0.9 To 0.99 The risk is moderate.
• At 1.0 or above: The risk of a high risk.

For females

• Below 0.8: The risk is low.
• From 0.8 From 0.8 to 0.89: It is risky.
• At 0.9 or higher the risk is very high.

However, these figures are subject to changeTrusted Source, depending on the source and the population to which they are applied.

WHR might be a better prediction of heart attacks and other health threats than BMI, which does not take fat distribution into consideration.

A study of health records of 1,349 users of Trusted Source in 11 countries which was published in 2013, demonstrated that those with higher WHR also have a greater risk of medical and surgical complications relating to colorectal surgery.

However, WHR isn't able to accurately determine a person's overall body fat percentage or the ratio of their muscle-to-fat.

To discover more evidence-based information and resources for obesity & managing weight, visit our web-based hub.

Method 3: Waist-to-height ratio

Waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) is a third tool which can help predict the risk for heart diseases, diabetes and general mortality better than BMI.

A person with a waist measurement of less than half their height is less likely of a number of life-threatening health problems.

Measure your waist-to-height ratio

To calculate the WtHR, the person must divide their waist size by their height. If the result is 0.5 or less, then it's likely that they have a healthy weight.

• A woman who is 5 feet and four inches tall (163 cm) should have a waist measurement lower than 32 inches (81 centimeters).
• A man who stands 6 feet or 383 centimeters (cm) tall, should have a waist measurement less than 36 inches, which is 91 centimeters.

The results will give a WtHR of just under 0.5.

In a study published by Trusted Source the same year in Plos One, researchers concluded that WtHR was a more reliable marker of mortality than BMI.

The authors also cited results in a different study which included statistics on around 300,000 people across different ethnic groups . The study found that WHtR was more effective than BMI in predicting strokes, heart attacks diabetes, and hypertension.

This suggests that the WHtR can be a useful screening tool.

A waist measurement that takes the size of the waist into consideration are excellent indications of health concerns because excess fat that is accumulated around the middle could cause harm to the kidneys, heart, and the liver.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source note that a man with a waist size of 40 inches or greater and a woman who has 35 inches or more, have an increased risk than the other people with the following characteristics:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• coronary artery disease

This does not, however, take a person's height or hip size into consideration.MEDICAL NEWS TODAY NEWSLETTERKnowledge is power. Get our free daily newsletter.

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Option 4: Body fat percentage

Body fat percentage is the weight of one's fat multiplied by their weight total.

The total body fat content includes both important and storage fat.

Essential fat A person requires essential fat to survive. It plays an important role in a wide range of bodily functions. For men, it is good to consume between 2 and 4 percent of their body's composition in essential fat. For women, this figure is between 10 and 13 percent, as per the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

storage fat The fat tissue is a shield for internal organs of the chest and abdomen, and your body may utilize it if necessary for energy.

Apart from the approximate guidelines for females and males, the ideal total fat percentage is contingent on the type of body a person has or intensity.

ACE suggest the following percentages:

Level of activity	Female body type	Female type of body
Athletes	6-13%	14-20%
Fit non-athletes	14-17%	21-24%
Acceptable	18-25%	25-31%
Overweight	26-37%	32-41%
Obesity	38 percent or more	42 percent or more

A high percentage of body fat may indicate the possibility of

• Diabetes
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• stroke

A calculation of the body fat percentage might be an effective method to determine a person's fitness level since it is a reflection of the person's body composition. BMI, in contrast, does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass.

How do you measure body fat

The most widely used method for getting a body fat percentage measurement is to use a skinfold measurement, which makes use of special calipers that pinch the skin.

The health professional will evaluate the tissues of the thigh abdomen, chest (for men)) or the upper arm (for women). The techniques provide an accurate reading of around 3.5 percent, according to ACE.

Other techniques includeTrusted Source:

• hydrostatic body fat measuring,"underwater weighing" or "underwater weighing"
• air densitometrythat measures the displacement of air
• dual intensity X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
• Bioelectrical impedance analyses

None of these can give 100% accuracy However, they are accurate enough to give an honest estimate.

Many gyms and doctor's offices are equipped with devices to measure the percentage of body fat a person's body has.

Video

In this video by What Matters Nutrition, David Brewer, a registered dietician, takes a look at the question of ideal weight, discussing many of the points raised above.https://www.youtube.com/embed/CjYBL9rsM5I?enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com&widgetid=1

Takeaway

The Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), and body-fat percent are four methods of assessing the healthy weight.

Combining them is the best way to have an accurate idea of whether you should consider acting or not.

Anyone worried regarding their waist, weight or body type should speak with a nutritionist or doctor. They will be able to give advice on options.