Introduction: Ideal Weight: How Much Should I Weigh?

 

Many people want to know the answer to the question: how much should I weigh? However, ideal weight suits only some, as many factors are involved. These include age, muscle-to-fat ratio, gender, distribution of body fat, and body shape.

Being overweight raises the risk of several illnesses, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and some cancers. This article goes over how to figure out your optimum weight.

 

METHOD 1: BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

 

One standard method for determining a person’s healthy weight is to use the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is established by considering an individual’s height.

• A below 18.5 BMI indicates that a person is underweight.
• A BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 indicates an average weight.
• A BMI from 25 to 29.99 indicates overweight.
• A BMI exceeding 30 indicates obesity.

You can check your BMI using the calculator.

 

What’s the issue with BMI?

 

BMI is a straightforward measurement method. Although it considers height, it does not consider parameters such as waist or hip measurements, fat proportion or distribution, and muscle mass. This can also affect health.

For example, professional athletes may be fit and have low body fat. However, their BMI may be high due to higher muscle mass. But that doesn’t mean they’re overweight.

BMI provides an approximate number that can be used to draw certain conclusions about whether a person’s weight is healthy. Therefore, it is a valuable measurement method. However, it should not be the only tool used to determine whether a person’s weight is average.

 

METHOD 2: WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO (WHR)

 

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) method compares waist and hip measurements.

Research shows that people with more fat around their midsection are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. The more significant the waist circumference compared to the hips, the higher the risk.

For this reason, waist-to-hip ratio helps calculate whether a person is at a healthy weight and size.

Measure your waist-to-hip ratio:

• The narrowest place on your waist, usually just above the navel, is where you measure.
• Divide the obtained number by the number obtained by measuring the hips at the widest point.

For example, if a person’s waist is 71 cm and hips are 91 cm, divide 71 by 91. In this case, the answer would be 0.78.

 

What does this mean?

 

WHR ratio is evaluated differently for men and women because their body shapes usually differ. According to studies, the WHR ratio can affect the risk of cardiovascular and heart diseases as follows:

For Women:

• Below 0.8: low risk of cardiovascular problems.
• From 0.8 to 0.89: moderate risk.
• 0.9 or higher: high risk.

For Men:

• Below 0.9: low risk of cardiovascular problems.
• From 0.9 to 0.99: moderate risk.
• 1.0 or higher: high risk.

WHR can better predict cardiovascular health risks than BMI because it takes into account fat distribution. However, WHR does not determine the overall body fat percentage or muscle-to-fat ratio.

 

METHOD 3: WAIST-TO-HEIGHT RATIO (WHtR)

 

Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is another method that can help predict the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and overall mortality better than BMI.

A person is less likely to get several severe diseases if their waist circumference is less than half of their height.

 

Measure your waist-to-height ratio:

 

To calculate WHtR, divide your waist circumference by your height. If the answer is 0.5 or less, you are likely to be at a healthy weight.

For example:

• A 163 cm woman’s waist circumference should be less than 81 cm.
• A 183 cm man’s waist circumference should be less than 91 cm.

These numbers would result in a final ratio slightly less than 0.5.

In a study published in the “Plus One” journal in 2014, researchers concluded that WHtR predicts mortality better than BMI. The authors also cited the findings of another study involving statistical data on approximately 300,000 individuals from different ethnic groups. It was concluded that the waist-to-height ratio better predicts heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and hypertension than BMI.

Measurements that consider waist circumference can be helpful indicators of a person’s health risk, as fat accumulation around the middle can harm the heart, kidneys, and liver.

It is said that there is an increased risk of type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease for men with a waist circumference of more than 101 cm and women with a waist circumference of more than 89 cm. Nevertheless, neither a person’s height nor hip circumference are taken into account.

 

METHOD 4: BODY FAT PERCENTAGE

 

The weight of an individual’s fat divided by their overall weight is their body fat percentage.

Body fat weight includes essential and accumulative fats.

• Essential fats are necessary for the body’s functioning and are required for various functions.
• It is considered that 2-4% of body weight is necessary fat for men and 10-13% for women.

Accumulative fats are fatty tissue stored around the chest and abdominal organs, which the body can use when energy is needed.

In addition to approximate recommendations for men and women, the ideal total fat percentage may depend on a person’s body type or activity level.

Here are the percentages:

 

Activity Level	Male (%)	Female (%)
Athlete	6-13	14-20
Athletic Non-Athlete	14-17	21-24
Acceptable	18-25	25-31
Overweight	26-37	32-41

 

Higher fat levels may indicate a greater risk of:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke

Body fat percentage is a good indicator of physical condition, as it reflects the composition of the body.

 

How to measure body fat percentage?

 

 

Body fat percentage is most commonly measured using skinfold calipers. A healthcare professional measures tissues on the thigh, abdomen, chest (for men), or triceps (for women) and determines the body fat percentage.

There are also other methods, but none show a 100% accurate result. However, the margins of error are usually small, so the results obtained can be considered reasonable.

Many gyms have devices designed to measure body fat percentage.