A healthy weight does not mean cover-model thin, or body-builder ripped; it is recommended for height and age. You can also take into account your body type- whether you have a large or small frame.
Sources such as the Centers For Disease Control, CDC recommend how much you should weigh based on your age and height to keep you within a healthy weight range and reduce your chances for diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Certain health risks such as those leading to heart disease increase with weight gain. So, the objective of maintaining a healthy weight is to give you a life of quality. So, How Much Should I Weigh?
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How Much Should I Weigh for My Age?
As you age, your weight increases. This occurs for various reasons, but during childhood and adolescence, it is because the body is getting bigger. The bones grow, muscle tissue increases, and as a child gets taller, weight increases too.
Age is not the best indicator for weight because each person’s body structure is different. For example, one person at 18 may have a larger frame than another 18-year-old, so weight based on age is not a recommended calculation.
How Much Should I Weigh for My Age and Height?
Using height as an indicator of weight is another way to determine if you are within “healthy” limits for your size. Again, frame sizes vary, so it isn’tisn’t easy to give an exact weight based on height. However, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company provides general guidelines for men and women based on their height.
The guidelines are for adults between the ages of 25 and 59. These guidelines for women are (lower weights are for those with smaller frames- higher weights for women with larger frames):
- 4’10″4’10” between 102 and 131 pounds
- 5′ between 104 and 137 pounds
- 5’2″5’2″ between 108 and 143 pounds
- 5’4″5’4″ between 114 and 151 pounds
- 5’5″5’5″ between 117 and 155 pounds
- 5’8″5’8″ between 126 and 167 pounds
- 5’10″5’10” between 132 and 173 pounds
- 6′ between 138 and 179 pounds
For men with small to large frames, ideal weights based on height are as follows:
- 5’2″5’2″ between 128 and 150 pounds
- 5’4″5’4″ between 132 and 156 pounds
- 5’6″5’6″ between 136 and 164 pounds
- 5’8″5’8″ between 140 and 172 pounds
- 5’9″5’9″ between 142 and 176 pounds
- 5’10″5’10” between 144 and 180 pounds
- 5’11″5’11” between 146 and 184 pounds
- 6′ between 149 and 188 pounds
- 6’2″6’2″ between 155 and 197 pounds
- 6’4″6’4″ between 162 and 207 pounds
How Much Should I Weigh for My Height?
The comparison of weight versus height is known as your Body Mass Index, represented by the initials BMI. BMI is an indicator of a potential weight risk- whether overweight or underweight. It is not a direct calculator of body fat percentage, but it gives a general idea of where your weight is.
You can use online calculators to input your height, weight, gender, and age, and the calculator will tell you your BMI. These are found on sites such as The Mayo Clinic or the CDC. However, you can calculate your own BMI to determine if your weight is within a healthy range.
For height in inches and pounds, use the following formula: Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared. Then, multiply the result by 703. For example, if you are 5’5″5’5″ tall, you stand 65 inches tall. Multiply 65 by 65 for a total of 4225. Next, divide your weight, for example, 150 pounds by 4225 for a total of 0.0355. Then multiply 0.0355 by 703 for a total BMI of 24.95.
For height in centimeter and weight in kilograms, use the following formula: Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. To convert centimeters to meters, multiply by 100.
For example, if you stand 165 centimeters tall, multiply 1.65 by 1.65 for a total of 2.7225. Next, divide your weight, for example, 68 kg, by 2.7225 for a total BMI of 24.98.
How Much Should You Weigh
If you base your weight on a BMI calculation, you need to know if your BMI falls within healthy limits. These BMI results are for people over the age of 20.
- A BMI below 18.5 is an indication of underweight
- A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a normal, healthy weight
- A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 is considered overweight
- A BMI over 30.0 is obese
The limitation with BMI calculations is that the measurement does not consider how much of your weight is muscle, bone, or fat. You could have very low body fat and have a large amount of muscle tissue, which increases your overall weight.
Using the BMI calculations, you may be considered overweight but do not have the health risks associated with excess weight from fat mass.
If you notice your BMI increasing, though, this could indicate that excess weight is a concern and you are elevating your risks for health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Another simple test to tell if your weight is excess fat weight is to measure your waist circumference. The CDC warns about carrying excess weight in your abdomen directly relates to risks for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Measure your waist just above your hip bone. Use a pliable measuring tape such as the one used for sewing and place the tape against your skin, but not so tight that it compresses your belly.
For men, if your waist measurement is over 40 inches, you may be overweight. For women, a waist measurement of more than 35 inches can signal a weight problem.
How Much Should a 12 Year Old Weigh?
Weight calculations for children under the age of 18 are different than for adults. The CDC still uses BMI calculations, but with a different chart for children based on gender. Enter your child’s gender, age, height, and weight to determine his BMI.
Then, the CDC uses a comparison of other children of the same age to give you a BMI-for-age weight status. This is a percentile representation such as:
- Less Than the 5th percentile- which signals an underweight concern
- Equal to or more than the 95th percentiles- which signal obesity
A healthy weight is between the 5th and 85th percentiles. Weight between the 85th and 95th percentiles signals an overweight concern.
A healthy weight range is not given for those under 18 since weight changes happen at a rapid pace. A child is growing every month, and the body fat content is different between girls and boys. Girls and women have more body fat than men, which changes the recommended amount of weight.
How Much Should I Weigh for My Height and Age?
General guidelines are given for weights depending on your height and age. You can use BMI to provide an indicator of any excess weight or use height charts to determine if you are within healthy weight ranges.
However, you cannot change your bone structure or your genetics. The weight ranges based on your height and age are general recommendations.
Staying within these limits helps you avoid certain health risks such as obesity such as diabetes, and heart disease. But, you should not struggle to stay within these ranges if you have a large frame with a high amount of muscle tissue.
If you find your weight creeping up and your clothes no longer fitting the way you desire, begin an exercise program that includes at least 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercises such as walking, cycling, skating, rowing, stair climbing, or swimming.
Also, include two or three days a week of strengthening exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats to increase your muscle tissue and help maintain a healthy weight.
