Healthy Weight: What Is Mine?

There are three ways of determining your healthy weight – healthy weight according to your height (old science), healthy weight according to your waist size (new science) and healthy weight according to your BMI (also new science).
In recent times, doctors, scientists, dieticians, personal trainers and medical professionals have come to agree that the term ‘healthy weight’ is a misnomer. The weight of a human body is the sum total of all that is in it including fat, muscles, water and bones. So professionals argue that rather than look at your weight, you need to look at your waist and also calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI).
According to the old ‘healthy weight’ rule book, a person who is 6-foot tall and weighing less than 120 Lbs would be classified as “healthy” – never mind the visible flab accumulating at the waist. New scientific thought tells us that the criteria for good health from point of view of our personal weight should be the quantum of fat within us – not our overall weight based on our height.

Using BMI as your healthy weight indicator

For the curious, BMI is calculated as follows:
BMI = (you weight in pounds x 700) divided by (height in inches squared) OR
BMI = your weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
If your BMI is 18.5 or less, you are underweight. If it is between 19 and 24.9, then you are perfect. Those with a BMI numbers between 25 and 29.9 would be overweight and if you have a BMI that is over 30 than you would be classified as obese.

Using waist size as a healthy weight indicator

Use a tape measure to measure your waist size. While at it, ensure that the tape fits snugly and comfortably without pressing into your skin.
For men: healthy weight would be indicated by a waist size of roughly 40 inches (102 cm)
For women: healthy weight would be indicated by a waist size of roughly 35 inches (88 cm)
For either sex if the waist measure is five inches less than the ideal waist measure, then they would be classified as underweight. So for men anything less than 35 inches and for women anything less than 30 inches would be underweight.

Using height as healthy weight indicator (old science)

Height to Weight Ratio For Women Weight in pounds				Height to Weight Ratio For Men Weight in pounds
Height	Low weight	Ideal weight	Excess if weight is	Height	Low weight	Ideal weight	Excess if weight is
5′ 4″	114	133	152	5″ 7″	135	151	167
5′ 6″	120	140	160	5′ 9″	139	157	175
5 ’8″	126	146	167	5′ 11″	144	164	183
5′ 10″	132	153	173	6′ 1″	150	171	192

For health conscious individuals, medical experts recommend investing in a quality Body Fat and BMI scale. These are digital scales and apart from indicating your weight, also display the fat and water content in your body.
While understanding the concept of healthy weight, we also need to know that zero fat is impossible and is also not ideal. Fat protects our body and our internal organs and is therefore essential for survival. The recommended percentage of essential fat in men is between 3 to 5% and between 8 to 12% in women