Calculating Your Ideal Body Weight
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Being overweight or underweight can put one at risk of suffering from many diseases
and health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. This is
why maintaining an ideal weight is important to good health.
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as an ideal weight. The reason for this is that
people are not built the same way and what may be considered a desirable weight for
one person may not necessarily apply to other people.
Calculating one's ideal body weight is not yet an exact science. The different methods
that have emerged through the years all have their limitations. But overall they do a
pretty good job of mapping out a range of body weights that may be suitable for you.
One tool that has gained wide acceptance among doctors and other health
professionals is the Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a simple calculator based on
weight and height to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity
in adults.
To find out what your BMI is, enter your weight and height using the calculator above
and then click on the "Calculate BMI" button. (Note: the results are approximate values
and should be used only as a rough guide.)
While BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, it has its limitations. It may
over-estimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build or
underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.