BMI Calculator

What should I weigh for my height and age?

Many people want to know the answer to the question: What will I be weighing? However, there is not any single ideal weight that is appropriate for everyone, since numerous aspects play a part.

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

A person who is overweight may increase the chance of developing a number of illnesses, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues.

Not everyone who carries extra weight develops health problems. But, research conducted by researchersTrusted Source believes that even though these extra pounds might not currently impact the health of someone however, an inability to manage can cause problems in the near future.

Read on to find out about the four methods to work out your ideal weight.

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

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

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

• A BMI lower 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 greater than 30 indicates obesity.

A body mass index calculator

To calculate your BMI To calculate your BMI, you can use our BMI calculators or consult 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 health decisions. BMI may be an ineffective assessment of risk to health and may not be reliable because it is unable to determine the percentage that body fat is distributed. BMI calculator source: National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Weight and height guide chart

The following chart of height and weight employs BMI tables taken from the National Institute of HealthTrusted Source to calculate the weight of a person and what their weight should be for their height.

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

What is the problem with BMI?

BMI is a very basic measurement. Although it takes the height of the person into consideration, it doesn't consider variables like

• Measurements of hips or waist
• percent or distribution of fat
• percentage of muscle mass

These, too, can be detrimental to health.

High-performance athletes, like are typically fit and possess a lot of body fat. They may have a large BMI because they have more muscle mass, but this doesn't mean they are overweight.

BMI is also an estimate of whether or not an individual's weight is healthy. It is an excellent way to determine trends in population studies.

But it should not be the sole way for one to decide if their weight is appropriate or not.

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

The measurement of waist-to hip of a person is their waist size with that of the hips.

Research has shown that people who have more body fat around the middle are more susceptible to developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes.

The bigger the waist measurement, in relation to the hips, the greater the risk.

In this way, that waist-to-hip proportion (WHR) is a valuable tool to determine if a person has a healthy weight and size.

Find your waist-to-hip ratio.

1. Begin by measuring around the waist in the most narrow area, usually about a few inches above the belly button.

2. Take this measure and divide it by the circumference of your hip at its largest point.

If someone's waist measures 28 inches and their hips measure 36 inches, they will divide 28 by 36. This gives them 0.77.

What does it mean?

The effect of WHR on the risk of developing cardiovascular heart disease (CVD) is different for women and men due to the fact that they have different body shapes.

There is evidence that suggests Worst-Hands-Rounding can impactTrusted Source the CVD risk in the following ways:

In males

• Lower than 0.9 In this case, the chance of suffering from cardiovascular health issues is very low.
• From 0.9 from 0.9 0.99 Risk is moderate.
• At 1.0 or over: The risk is extremely high.

Females are the only ones who can benefit from HTML0.

• Below 0.8 The risk is moderate.
• From 0.8 To 0.89: The risk is moderate.
• At 0.9 or above The risk is extremely high.

However, these figures may differ from Trusted Source according to what source it comes from and the demographic that they are applicable to.

WHR might be a better indicator of heart attacks and other health issues than BMI which doesn't consider the distribution of fat.

A review of the health records of 1,349 users of Trusted Source across 11 countries published in 2013, showed that those with a higher WHR also have a higher chance of having medical or surgical complications associated with colorectal surgeries.

However, WHR cannot accurately determine a person's overall body fat percentage or their ratio of muscle to fat.

To find more reliable information as well as resources for obesity and managing weight, check out this hub.

Method 3: Waist-to-height ratio

WtHR is a Waist to Height ratio (WtHR) is a second tool that could help to predict the risk to heart disease and diabetes and overall mortality more efficiently than BMI.

A person with a waist measurement of less than half their height is at a lower risk to develop a variety life-threatening health complications.

Check your waist-to-height ratio

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

• Five feet and 4 inches tall (163 cm) should have a waist measurement below 32 inches (81 centimeters).
• A man who is 6 feet or 383 centimeters (cm) taller, must have a waist measurement less than 36 inches, or 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 better predictor of mortality than BMI.

They also referenced results in a different study with data for about 300,000 people across different ethnic groups . It concluded that WHtR is superior than BMI in predicting strokes, heart attacks hypertension, and diabetes.

This suggests that the WHtR can serve as a screening tool.

Measurements that take waist size into account can be good indications of health concerns because fat accumulation in the middle of the body can cause harm to the kidneys, heart, and liver.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source report that a man who has a waist measurement of 40 inches or greater or a female with a waist size of 35 inches or greater, has an increased risk of being diagnosed with people who are:

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

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

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4. Method: Body fat percentage

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

Total body fat includes important fats as well as storage fats.

essential fat A person requires essential fat to live. It plays a part in a variety of bodily functions. For men, it is good to consume between 2 and 4 percent of their body's composition in essential fat. Women's figure is 10 to 13 percent, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Fat storage Fat tissue: It protects the internal organs located in the chest and abdomen, and the body can use it for energy if needed.

Beyond the guidelines for men and women, the ideal total fat percentage is contingent on the person's physique or level of activity.

ACE recommends that the percentages below:

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

A high percentage of body fat could indicate an increased risk of

• Diabetes
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• stroke

The calculation of body fat percentage could be an effective method to measure a person's fitness level, as it indicates the person's body composition. BMI is in contrast and does not distinguish between muscle mass and fat.

How to calculate body fat

The most popular method of measuring the body fat percentage is by using the measurement of a skinfold, which uses special calipers to pinch the skin.

The doctor will assess the tissues of the thigh chest (for males) or upper arm (for women). The techniques provide an accurate reading of around 3.5 percent, as per ACE.

Other methods include trusted Source:

• hydrostatic body fat measuring, or "underwater weighing"
• air densitometryis a technique to measure the displacement of air
• Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
• Bioelectrical impedance analyses

There is no way to give a 100-percent accurate reading But the estimates are close enough to provide an acceptable estimation.

A number of gyms and doctors' offices have devices for measuring the body fat percentage of an individual.

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

Body mass index (BMI) as well as waist-to hip ratio (WHR) (WHR), waist-to-height proportion (WtHR), and body-fat percent are four ways of assessing the healthy weight.

Combining them is the best way to have an accurate assessment of whether it is worth taking action or not.

If you are worried concerning their height, body fat or body composition should speak to a nutritionist, doctor, or physician. They will be able to give advice on options.