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What Should You Weigh?
There’s no simple answer to how much a given person should weigh. There are several considerations to take into account in working out a reasonable target weight range.
- Height: Clearly, your height is an important issue in working out your target weight. If you’re 5'2", your target will be different from someone who’s 6'1".
- Body type: Generally, adults have one of three types of body frames: small, medium, or large. How do you know which you are? Here’s a rule of thumb—literally. Wrap the fingers and thumb of one hand around your other wrist. If they overlap, you have a small frame. If they barely touch, you have a medium frame. If they don’t meet, you have a large frame. A small-framed person should pursue a different weight target from that of a large-framed person.
- Gender: All other considerations being equal, a woman of the same height and type of frame as a man should shoot for a somewhat lower target weight.
- Age: As the years go by, people’s bodies undergo changes that affect the weight that they should try to maintain. Muscle tone is apt to change, and a person’s weight can rise as he or she ages without necessarily suggesting a decline in health.
Suggested Weight Ranges
Here’s a sampling of weight ranges typically found in weight charts that you might see in a doctor’s office.
Female |
Male |
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Height (with shoes) |
Small frame |
Medium frame |
Large frame |
Small frame |
Medium frame |
Large frame |
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5'0" |
104–115 |
113–126 |
122–137 |
— |
— |
— |
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5'2" |
108–121 |
118–132 |
128–143 |
128–134 |
131–141 |
138–150 |
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5'4" |
114–127 |
124–138 |
134–151 |
132–138 |
135–145 |
142–156 |
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5'6" |
120–133 |
130–144 |
140–159 |
136–142 |
139–151 |
146–164 |
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5'8" |
126–139 |
136–150 |
146–167 |
140–148 |
145–157 |
157–172 |
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5'10" |
132–145 |
142–156 |
152–173 |
144–154 |
151–163 |
158–180 |
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6'0" |
138–151 |
148–162 |
158–179 |
149–160 |
157–170 |
164–188 |
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6'2" |
— |
— |
— |
155–168 |
164–178 |
172–197 |
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Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height to measure his or her body composition. Although BMI doesn’t measure body fat directly, it’s a relatively reliable way of indicating whether or not a person is overweight or obese. There are many other methods that can be used to measure body fat more specifically, but the BMI is inexpensive and easy to determine.
How to Calculate BMI
BMI is a number that represents a person’s weight divided by the square of his or her height. To calculate your BMI:
- Convert your height to inches. (There are 12 inches in a foot. For a person who is 5'6", first multiply 5 × 12 = 60. Then add the 6 inches to come up with a total of 66 inches.)
- Square the total number of inches. (66 × 66 = 4,356)
- Divide your weight by the total of your inches squared. (For example, for a 160-pound person: 160 ÷ 4,356 = 0.0367.)
- Multiply that number by 704 to come up with your BMI. (0.0367 × 704 = 25.84)
To interpret your BMI, use the following chart.
BMI |
Weight Status |
|
Below 18.5 |
Underweight |
|
18.5–24.9 |
Normal |
|
25.0–29.9 |
Overweight |
|
30.0 and above |
Obese |
The BMI isn’t an absolutely reliable indicator—for instance, athletes or other individuals with more lean muscle mass may be labeled “obese” on the BMI scale when in fact they are not. But on the whole, BMI is likely to give you a decent sense of your weight level.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
