Your body weight is one of the characteristics that play an invaluable role in the contemporary world. Indeed, when seeing a doctor and undergoing therapy, your weight is measured to determine the way you should be treated. Your weight also influences your social life. Unfortunately, society tends to mock overweight people, which proves to harm their mental well-being. When you are overweight, you are very restricted in your daily activities, which influences the quality of your life.

Excess weight is also deleterious for your health. Being overweight, you can suffer from cardiovascular conditions, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

What is the Ideal Body Weight Calculator?

The main task of the ideal body weight calculator is to gauge the weight in which you will feel comfortable. The ideal body weight is a relative concept, which cannot be generalized. Indeed, your weight is determined by your lifestyle, age, sex, and other important characteristics.

In fact, there are some indexes and formulas that you can use to calculate your ideal weight. While some of them take only weight and height into account, others consider the waist size. Another important factor that can help you conclude whether your weight is ideal for you is your body fat.

Types of Body Fat

Two types of body fat that can contribute to your body weight: essential and storage fat.

Essential Fat

This is a type of fat you need to perform the tasks essential for survival. Without this fat, your body will not be able to perform functions that are necessary for you to live. According to the American Council on Exercise, the perfect essential fat in women should range from 10% to 13%. Conversely, men need 2-5% of body fat.

Storage Fat

Storage fat is also known as the adipose tissue, which is responsible for protecting internal organs in the chest and stomach region. In case the body needs an alternative source of energy, the body can obtain it from the adipose tissue. The amount of storage fat in an individual strongly depends on the result of the ideal weight calculator, the lifestyle, and the body type of a person. Male and female athletes store 6-13% and 18-20% of body fat respectively. For men who do not engage in sports, the normal body fat amount ranges between 18-25%. Conversely, women need more body fat, so the norm for them is 25-30%. If a person has more fat than this, they are deemed overweight.

It is extremely important to control your body fat, which you can do with the help of the ideal body weight calculator. Having a surplus of body fat is dangerous, as it can entail stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. You can calculate your body fat percentage to find out whether you are fit or not.

The foolproof way to calculate the body fat percentage is to measure the skinfold. What you need to do is take measurements in different areas of your body with the help of the caliper. Accordingly, women should measure skin folds on the upper arm, while men need to take measurements on the chest, abdomen, and thigh.

The caliper is not the only legit method to measure your body fat. Air densitometry is another way to do it. This method measures displaced airdual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Furthermore, there are bioelectrical impedance analysis and hydrostatic body fat measuring, which is commonly known as underwater weighing. The results obtained from these methods are not always absolutely accurate, but they are close enough.

Skinfold Measurements to Calculate the Ideal Body Weight

The procedure of measuring the skinfold looks like this:

1. You should take all measurements on the right side of your body. You are advised to mark the part of the body being measured so that you can repeat the measurement in case you need it.
2. Grab the skinfold with the left index finger and thumb.
3. Apply the skinfold caliper to hold the skin fold in the left hand in place.
4. Read the measurement on the caliper to the closest 0.5 millimeters.
5. Take at least two measurements on each body part. You should remember that the second measurement must be taken 15 seconds after the first one.

Body Fat Percentage Calculators

One of the ways to calculate your ideal body weight is to use a body fat percentage calculator. One of such formulas is the Jackson and Pollock formula, which looks like this:

For women: 1.0994921 – (0.0009929 x the sum of the triceps, thigh, and suprailiac skinfolds in mm) + (0.0000023 x the square of the sum of the triceps, thigh, and suprailiac skinfolds in mm) – (0.0001392 x age) = body density.

To convert the result into a percentage, do the following:

[(4.95/body density) – 4.5] x 100 = body fat percentage.

For men: 1.10938 – (0.0008267 x the sum of the chest, abdomen, and thigh skinfolds in mm) + (0.0000016 x the square of the sum of the chest, abdomen, and thigh skinfolds in mm) – (0.0002574 x age) = body density.

To convert the result into a percentage, do the following:

[(4.95/body density) – 4.5] x 100 = body fat percentage.

Calculating Your Ideal Weight

BMI (Body Mass Index)

BMI must be the most popular way to determine whether your weight is within the normal range of not. The index does it merely based on your height and weight, calculating how proportionate they are. In the formula, the height is divided by the weight, leading to the kg/m² result.

Consequently, if the ultimate result is less than 18, a person is considered underweight. On the other way of the spectrum, a person with a 30 and more BMI is deemed morbidly obese. The BMI method can be applied by both amateurs and professionals. Indeed, medical workers frequently use it to assess the health of a patient. Nevertheless, you should not trust BMI absolutely, as it has certain drawbacks, making it sometimes a questionable ideal weight calculator. The main reason why BMI is not a foolproof way to calculate your ideal weight is that it does not distinguish muscle mass from fat. As a result, a bodybuilder can be easily deemed overweight because of having more than 50% of muscle mass.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio

This method’s main advantage over BMI is that it considers the difference between fat and muscle mass. In case the ratio exceeds the 0.8 points for women and 0.9 for men, a person’s weight leaves the normal range. If the waist-to-hip ratio is high, it means you have much fat storage in your abdomen, which can be extremely deleterious to your health.

However, the waist-to-hip ratio is also not the perfect ideal weight calculator, as it does not consider your weight and height. Nevertheless, you can combine your BMI and waist-to-hip ratio results to calculate the amount of visceral fat in your body.

Keeping your waist-to-hip ratio within the norm can ensure your better health. For instance, too much fat is often a cause of cardiovascular conditions. Likewise, many of those with a high waist-to-hip ratio undergo colorectal surgery.

Waist-to-Height Ratio

Another ratio that is worth trying in an attempt to determine whether your weight is ideal is the waist-to-height ratio.

Knowing this measurement will determine the level of your vulnerability to heart conditions and diabetes. Indeed, having a waist that is approximately the same as the height can cause various problems while having the height that is twice the waist is healthy.

The formula for the waist-to-height ratio calculation looks like this:

Waist size/height

If you get less than 0.5, your body weight is perfect for you. Otherwise, you are overweight.

In fact, experts tend to believe that the waist-to-height ratio reflects a person’s health better than the well-known BMI. Indeed, the ratio is rather good at determining one’s vulnerability to stroke and hypertension.

What is Your Ideal Body Weight?

The WHO claims that the perfect weight for both women and men lies within the range between 18.5-25 kg/m² (BMI). Based on this, you can further calculate your ideal body weight. Physicians prefer to use BMI to identify potential health problems of their patients. In fact, the higher the BMI is, the greater is the likelihood of suffering from a particular health problem.

When people intend to calculate their ideal body weight, they should be very attentive, making sure all the measures they take are accurate. They need to measure their weight, height, hips, waist, and skinfold properly. If they do not, the formulas showing the ideal weight might fail to do so and thus distort your understanding of the healthy weight. The tools for the measurements are scales and the meter or tape rule. You can take the measurements either alone or with the help of an expert, friend, or family member. However, it would be better if another person assisted you.

Factors Influencing Your Choice of the Body Weight Calculator

To minimize the risk of having excessive weight, you should consider the following factors:

1. Genes. Obesity is often a hereditary problem. If your family members are overweight, you are likely to gain weight as you are growing up. The “obesity” gene also determines the maximum amount of excess fat that can be stored in your body.
2. Sex. It is a scientific fact that women and men tend to gain weight differently. Likewise, women and men need different amounts of fat for their bodies to function properly. The representatives of both sexes store fat in different areas of their bodies. Accordingly, women store excess fat in their buttocks or hips, whereas men store fat in the belly. Too much fat stored in the body increases a person’s susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. In the U.S., men have a propensity to weigh more than women even though females have a higher percentage of body fat.
3. Race and Ethnicity. Race or ethnicity often determines one’s tendency to obesity. For instance, Asian-Americans are the least likely to be overweight. On the other hand, African-Americans have the greatest chance to be overweight.
4. Lifestyle and Eating Habits. Your body reflects what you eat and how often you engage in physical activity. Consequently, it is crucial to consider these factors when determining your ideal weight. Eating processed, canned, and junk foods adds to the risk of weight gain. Also, if your lifestyle is primarily sedentary and you either ignore physical exercises or work out rarely, chances are you gain weight fast.
5. Insufficient Sleep. Little sleep directly influences your eating habits and weight control. If you sleep insufficiently, you might start noticing how your calorie intake increases as you want to eat more. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to curb the appetite and control the amount of food you eat, which ultimately can result in obesity.
6. Culture and Family Habits. Family plays an essential role in forming your eating habits. The way your parents treat food and cultural traditions they practice can impact the way you choose food and plan your meals. Consequently, these habits can contribute to your weight-maintaining skills. A family that inculcates the love for physical activity in a person and has a habit to go in for sports regularly reduces one’s risk of becoming overweight. By practicing sports themselves, family members demonstrate the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the children to adopt it in the future. The cultural and religious practices a particular family engages in have an impact on what a person chooses to eat. In some cultures, people prefer frying their meals, which proves to harm a person’s weight because fried foods are high in calories.
7. Environment.  Living and working in a place that ensures easy access to detrimental foods that can undermine your well-being can increase the likelihood of you becoming overweight. As a result, chances are that you will indulge in frequent snacking and drinking sweetened beverages that can add to your weight.
8. Age. As people are growing up, their muscle mass tends to decrease, while the amount of body fat increases. Although this biological process is inevitable, you can slow down the process by staying active, eating healthy foods, and getting enough sleep.
9. Height. Height is one of the primary aspects that determine your real and ideal body weight. The taller you are, the more body fat and muscle mass you have, which, correspondingly, influences your weight. Likewise, a person with larger bone anatomy will weigh more than the one with a smaller bone density, even on condition of both having similar heights.

Ideal Body Weight Formulas

There are numerous ways to determine your ideal body weight. Among these are formulas designed to calculate the dosage for drugs. Among these are:

1. G. J. Hamwi’s 1964 formula. According to this formula, 5-feet-tall men should weigh about 106 lbs. For every other inch, the weight should increase by 6 lbs. As for 5-feet-tall women, they should weigh about 100 lbs., and the weight should increase by 5 lbs. for every other.
2. B. J. Devine’s 1974 formula. The appearance of this one was urged by the need to determine drug dosages based on a patient’s height and weight. The ideal body weight for a 5-feet-tall man whose height is 50 kg plus 2.3 kg for every other inch. The majority of 5-feet-tall women are expected to weigh 45.5 kg plus 2.3 kg for every inch above 5 feet.
3. J. D. Robinson’s formula. This 1983 formula suggests that a 5-feet-tall man should weigh 52 kg plus 1.9 kg increase for every inch beyond their height. In comparison, women of the same height are expected to weigh 49 kg plus 1.7 kg for every other inch.
4. D. R. Miller’s formula. Created in 1983, the formula suggests that the ideal weight for a 5-feet-tall man is 56.2 kg plus 1.41 kg for every inch above 5 feet. At the same time, women of the same height should weigh 53.1 kg plus 1.36 kg for every additional inch.

How to Achieve the Ideal Weight?

There are various ways you can achieve your ideal weight:

1. Stay active. Walking, jogging, resistance training, and cardio exercises are undoubtedly among the most effective ways to lose weight and prevent obesity.
2. Eat more fruits and veggies. Preferably, you should eat them raw rather than prepared.
3. Cut down on carbs. By causing the imbalance in your gut bacteria, carbs ensure weight gain.
4. Reduce your salt intake. Salt accelerates your weight gain by triggering the metabolic syndrome.
5. Drink more water. Drinking water makes you feel less hungry, consequently preventing you from overeating.

Takeaways

Although body positivity is all the rage nowadays, it does not mean obesity is healthy. Indeed, your weight is the reflection of your physical and mental well-being. If you are overweight you have health problems, which might not be obvious now but can show in the future. Being obese increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, stroke, and other problems.

It is recommended that you use an ideal body weight calculator to find out whether your weight is within the norm. First, you can use body fat percentage formulas, for which you will have to measure your skinfold. However, using this method will not give you the number of kilos. Rather, it will show if you need to shed some pounds or not. Another method is BMI, which is the most popular. Its main flaw, though, is the fact that it does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass. You can also use waist-to-hips and waist-to-height ratios, which are often used to determine the health state of a person. Additionally, there are formulas used for calculating the drug dosage.

Undoubtedly, you should love your body the way it is, but never stop improving. Truly, you can love yourself in any stage of your body transformation, which involves staying active and eating healthy. Even if you think you are comfortable in your skin, you are advised to check up an ideal body weight calculator to make sure your weight is healthy.

Disclaimer:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility.

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