Your Ideal Weight
The most accurate assessment of your ideal weight takes into
account the composition of your body - how much of your weight is lean body
mass (muscle and bone) and how much is body fat. For optimum health, body fat should be no more than 20% of
total body weight for men and 30% for women.
Ideal Weight Table
The following table is a guide to a healthy weight range
for each height and gender based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) normal acceptable range[1]. The table does not take into consideration your
age or your frame size. A person with a petite physique (small frame) should aim for an
ideal weight at the lower end of the range and a person of the same height but
with a large frame could quite satisfactorily weigh in at the top of the
range.
| Height |
Men |
Women |
Feet &
Inches |
Metres |
lb |
Kg |
lb |
Kg |
| 4' 7" |
1.397 |
86 - 107 |
39 - 49 |
80 - 102 |
36 - 46 |
| 4' 7½" |
1.410 |
88 - 109 |
40 - 49 |
82 - 104 |
37 - 47 |
| 4' 8" |
1.422 |
90 - 111 |
41 - 50 |
83 - 106 |
38 - 48 |
| 4' 8½" |
1.435 |
91 - 113 |
41 - 51 |
85 - 108 |
39 - 49 |
| 4' 9" |
1.448 |
93 - 115 |
42 - 52 |
86 - 110 |
39 - 50 |
| 4' 9½" |
1.461 |
95 - 117 |
43 - 53 |
88 - 112 |
40 - 51 |
| 4' 10" |
1.473 |
96 - 119 |
44 - 54 |
89 - 114 |
41 - 52 |
| 4' 10½" |
1.486 |
98 - 121 |
44 - 55 |
91 - 116 |
41 - 53 |
| 4' 11" |
1.499 |
100 - 123 |
45 - 56 |
93 - 118 |
42 - 53 |
| 4' 11½" |
1.511 |
101 - 125 |
46 - 57 |
94 - 120 |
43 - 54 |
| 5' |
1.524 |
103 - 128 |
47 - 58 |
96 - 122 |
43 - 55 |
| 5' ½" |
1.537 |
105 - 130 |
47 - 59 |
97 - 124 |
44 - 56 |
| 5' 1" |
1.549 |
106 - 132 |
48 - 60 |
99 - 126 |
45 - 57 |
| 5' 1½" |
1.562 |
108 - 134 |
49 - 61 |
101 - 128 |
46 - 58 |
| 5' 2" |
1.575 |
110 - 136 |
50 - 62 |
102 - 130 |
46 - 59 |
| 5' 2½" |
1.588 |
112 - 138 |
51 - 63 |
104 - 132 |
47 - 60 |
| 5' 3" |
1.600 |
113 - 141 |
51 - 64 |
106 - 134 |
48 - 61 |
| 5' 3½" |
1.613 |
115 - 143 |
52 - 65 |
107 - 137 |
49 - 62 |
| 5' 4" |
1.626 |
117 - 145 |
53 - 66 |
109 - 139 |
49 - 63 |
| 5' 4½" |
1.638 |
119 - 147 |
54 - 67 |
111 - 141 |
50 - 64 |
| 5' 5" |
1.651 |
121 - 150 |
55 - 68 |
112 - 143 |
51 - 65 |
| 5' 5½" |
1.664 |
123 - 152 |
56 - 69 |
114 - 145 |
52 - 66 |
| 5' 6" |
1.676 |
125 - 154 |
56 - 70 |
116 - 147 |
53 - 67 |
| 5' 6½" |
1.689 |
126 - 157 |
57 - 71 |
118 - 150 |
53 - 68 |
| 5' 7" |
1.702 |
128 - 159 |
58 - 72 |
119 - 152 |
54 - 69 |
| 5' 7½" |
1.715 |
130 - 161 |
59 - 73 |
121 - 154 |
55 - 70 |
| 5' 8" |
1.727 |
132 - 164 |
60 - 74 |
123 - 157 |
56 - 71 |
| 5' 8½" |
1.740 |
134 - 166 |
61 - 75 |
125 - 159 |
57 - 72 |
| 5' 9" |
1.753 |
136 - 169 |
62 - 76 |
127 - 161 |
57 - 73 |
| 5' 9½" |
1.765 |
138 - 171 |
63 - 78 |
128 -164 |
58 - 74 |
| 5' 10" |
1.778 |
140 - 174 |
64 - 79 |
130 -166 |
59 - 75 |
| 5' 10½" |
1.791 |
142 -176 |
64 - 80 |
132 - 168 |
60 - 76 |
| 5' 11" |
1.803 |
144 - 179 |
65 - 81 |
134 - 171 |
61 - 77 |
| 5' 11½" |
1.816 |
146 - 181 |
66 - 82 |
136 - 173 |
62 - 78 |
| 6' 0" |
1.829 |
148 - 184 |
67 - 83 |
138 - 176 |
63 - 80 |
| 6' ½" |
1.842 |
150 - 186 |
68 - 84 |
140 - 178 |
63 - 81 |
| 6' 1" |
1.854 |
152 - 189 |
69 - 86 |
142 - 180 |
64 - 82 |
| 6' 1½" |
1.867 |
154 - 191 |
70 - 87 |
144 - 183 |
65 - 83 |
| 6' 2" |
1.880 |
157 - 194 |
71 - 88 |
146 - 185 |
66 - 84 |
| 6' 2½" |
1.892 |
159 - 197 |
72 - 89 |
148 - 188 |
67 - 85 |
| 6' 3" |
1.905 |
161 - 199 |
73 - 90 |
150 - 190 |
68 - 86 |
| 6' 3½" |
1.918 |
163 - 202 |
74 - 92 |
152 - 193 |
69 - 88 |
| 6' 4" |
1.930 |
165 - 205 |
75 - 93 |
154 - 196 |
70 - 89 |
Body Mass Index
An alternative way of gauging your weight is to calculate your
Body Mass Index (BMI). To determine your BMI divide your weight in kilograms by
your height in metres squared.
- BMI = Weight in Kg ÷ Height in metres∧2
The normal acceptable range of this measurement
is 20.1 to 25.0 for men and 18.7 to 23.8 for women.
The only exceptions are
athletes and body builders, whose extra muscle may tip their BMI over the
normal range.
Vikram et al. (2003)[2] in his study showed that Asian Indians have excess cardiovascular risk at BMI values considered “normal” and therefore the definitions of “normal” ranges of BMI need to be revised for Asian Indians.
Impact of age ≥65
In his research, Heiat (2003)[7] concluded that data suggest that optimum body mass index (BMI) tended to be higher for older adults (≥65 yrs) compared with the young and middle-aged population, and interestingly, being heavier than recommended by the current guidelines resulted in the lowest mortality rates.
Public health recommendations should be focused on promoting regular physical activity and weight maintenance among mild to moderately overweight, otherwise healthy, adults who have survived to old age(≥65 yrs).
BMI Calculators

An alternative equation for calculating BMI
In an article in The Times (2013)[4] Professor Trefehan says that the current calculation of BMI results in short people thinking they are thinner than they are and tall people thinking they are fatter. He feels that the correct equation for calculating and individuals BMI is:
- BMI = 1.3 x (Weight in Kg ÷ Height in metres∧2.5)
Assessment of your BMI score
The following BMI assessment is provided by NHS Direct
(2011)[1]
- less than 18.5 you are underweight for your height.
- 18.5 to 24.9 you are an ideal weight for your height
- 25 to 29.9 you are over the ideal weight for your
height
- 30 to 39.9 you are obese
- over 39.9 you are very obese
If your BMI is greater than 30 then you should consider taking action to lose weight.
History of ideal weight formulas
A number of formulas and theories have been devised over the years and the following are some of those most popular "ideal weight" formulas:
| |
Men |
Women |
| Dr P. Broca (1897) |
Height (cm) -100 +- 10% |
Height (cm) -100 +- 15% |
| G. Hamwi (1964) |
48kg + 2.7kg/inch over 5 feet |
45.5kg + 2.2kg/inch over 5 feet |
| B. Devine (1974) |
50kg + 2.3kg/inch over 5 feet |
45.5kg + 2.3kg/inch over 5 feet |
| J. Robinson et al. (1983)[5] |
52kg + 1.9kg/inch over 5 feet |
49kg + 1.7kg/inch over 5 feet |
| D. Miller Formula (1983) |
56.2kg + 1.41kg/inch over 5 feet |
53.1kg + 1.36kg/inch over 5 feet |
| H. Lemmens et al. (2005)[6] |
22 × Height2 (metres) |
22 × Height2 (metres) |
Free Calculator
Free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that you can download and use on
your computer. The spreadsheet will be opened in a new window.
Referenced Material
- NHS Direct (2011) BMI healthy weight calculator [WWW] Available from:
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/pages/bodymassindex.aspx [Accessed 14/10/2011]
- VIKRAM, N. et al. (2003) Non-obese (body mass index < 25 kg/m2) Asian Indians with normal waist circumference have high cardiovascular risk. Nutrition, 19 (6), p. 503-509
- TRUMBO, P. et al. (2002) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
102 (11), p. 1621-1630
- The Times (2013) Short and now fatter than you thought according to new way of calculating BMI, The Times, 10th January
- ROBINSON, J.D. et al. (1983) Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. Am J Hosp Parm, 40 p. 1016-1019
- LEMMENS H.J.M. et al.(2005) Obesity Surgery, 15 (7) p. 1082-1083
- HEIAT, A. (2003) Impact of age on definition of standards for ideal weight. Preventive cardiology, 6 (2), p. 104-107
Associated References
The following references provide additional information on this topic:
- GAESSER, G. A. (2013) Big fat lies: The truth about your weight and your health. Gurze Books.
- MCKINLEY, N. M. (1999) Ideal weight/ideal women. Weighty Issues: Fatness and thinness as social problems, p. 97-115
- FOSTER, G. D. et al. (1997) What is a reasonable weight loss? Patients' expectations and evaluations of obesity treatment outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65 (1), p. 79
Page Reference
The reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Your Ideal Weight [WWW] Available from: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/idealw.htm [Accessed
Associated Pages
The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:
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