If you're overweight, losing just 10% of your body weight is linked to many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar, and reducing your risk for heart disease. This kind of weight loss is also easier to reach and keep for the long run.
Of course you could just look at yourself in the mirror and make your own judgement, but for health reasons it may be important to know what’s normal and what’s not for your age.
To determine how much you should weigh (your ideal body weight) several factors should be considered, including age, muscle-fat ratio, height, sex, and bone density.
Some people suggest that calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI) is the best way to decide whether your body weight is ideal. Others say that BMI is faulty as it does not account for muscle mass and that waist-hip ratio is better.
One person's ideal body weight may be completely different from another's. If you compare yourself to family and friends you risk either aiming too high if you are surrounded by obese or overweight people, or too low if everyone around you works as fashion models. Even comparing yourself with people outside your immediate surroundings may not work.
Then, if you find out that you are too heavy for your height and age, you can do something about it.
The Body Mass Index
The Body Mass Index or BMI is generally used to measure human body fat based on an individual’s weight and height. Body mass index is defined as the individual’s body weight divided by the square of his or her height. Your BMI is your weight in relation to your height.
BMI metric units: Your weight (kilograms) divided by the square of your height (meters)
e.g. Weight 80 kilograms. Height 1.8 meters.
1.82 meters = 3.24
80 divided by 3.24 = BMI 24.69.
Imperial units: Your weight (pounds) times 703, divided by the square of your height in inches.
e.g. Weight 190 pounds. Height 6 ft (72 inches)
722 = 5184
190 x 703 divided by 5184 = BMI 25.76
Health authorities worldwide mostly agree that:
People with a BMI of less than 18.5 are underweight.
A BMI of between 18.5 and 25 is ideal.
Somebody with a BMI between 25 and 30 is classed as overweight.
A person with a BMI over 30 is obese.
In some countries health authorities say the lower limit for BMI is 20, anything below it is underweight.
To calculate your BMI you can use metric BMI calculator.
Is this information reliable?
In most cases, your BMI score will give you an easy and quick indicator of your “fatness” or “thinness”. However, the results from the BMI test are not always accurate and should not be relied upon as an authority for medical diagnosis. Some people tend to have a lot of muscles (which tend to weigh heavier) and for those people a completely wrong BMI range could result.
Your BMI socre will, however, give you a good indicator and if you have any doubts or concerns, see your physician.
Is a Healthy Weight Important?
A healthy body weight is not just about looking good, it is actually very important for your overall wellbeing. Being overweight puts you at risk of many chronic and potentially lethal diseases, like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and gall bladder disease to name but a few.
What is Body Fat Percentage?
Your body fat percentage is the weight of your fat divided by your total weight. The result indicates your essential fat as well as storage fat.
Essential fat - this is the amount of fat we need to survive. Women require a higher percentage than men. Essential fat is 2%-5% in men, and 10%-13% in women.
Storage fat - this consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, some of which protects our internal organs in the chest and abdomen.
Total body fat percentage - this is essential fat plus storage fat.
The American Council on Exercise recommends the following percentages:
Essential fat:
- Women 10-12%
- Men 2-4%
Total fat:
- Athletes
- Men 6-13%
- Women 14-20%
- Non-athletes classed as fit
-Men 14-17%%
-Women 21-24
- Acceptable
-Men 18-25%
-Women 25-31%
- Overweight
-Men 26-37%
-Women 32-41%
- Obese
-Men 38% or more
-Women 42% or more
Many experts say that calculating people's body fat percentage is the best way to gauge their fitness level because it is the only measurement that includes the body's true composition. Any male whose body fat percentage is over 25% or female over 31% is either overweight or possibly obese.
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