Understanding Your Ideal Body Weight
The question of ideal body weight historically is a subject of study that raises more questions than answers, i.e. is obesity linked with morbidity and/or mortality and, thus, important in medical management? What, if any, is the lower healthy limit for body mass index? In 1869, Quetelet described a formula for body mass index (weight in kg/ height m2) which assumes a certain amount of body fat, based on weight, and corrected for height. In a 1959 study, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company suggested ‘ideal’ body weights for men and women based on weight, height and body frame.1 However, co-morbid factors such as smoking and family history for diseases are not considered as variables in this survey.
Today, ideal body weight remains controversial.
Check out below Your Ideal Body Weight.
Ideal Body Weight or BMI?
Body mass index (BMI) is categorized by the International Obesity Task Force as:
- 18.5–24.9 = Healthy weight,
- 25.0–29.9 = Overweight,
- 30.0–34.9 = Class I obesity,
- 35.0–39.9 = Class II obesity,
- >40.0 = Class III obesity.
It is generally acknowledged that obesity increases the risk of many diseases, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cholelithiasis, cancer of the endometrium, colon and kidney, stroke, osteoarthritis and infertility. These risks become more evident as the BMI increases. Yet the definition of obesity has varied by age and sex and is generally unclear. Additionally, the risk of obesity has increased significantly in western countries over the years.