How much should I weigh considering my age and height? — Nutritionist for healthy weight in Puerto Banus

11/03/2023

There is no ideal weight for everyone, but tools and calculators can help. Here, our nutritionist for healthy weight in Puerto Banus explains how to calculate your ideal weight.

What's my ideal weight?

Everyone is different, and the ideal weight for each person is determined by a combination of a number of different factors. These factors can be biological, such as age, height, and the sex of the mother at birth, but mental factors can be just as important.

An individual's "ideal weight" may be defined as the weight at which they are the least self-conscious about their appearance.

On the other hand, keeping one's weight within a healthy range can lower one's risk of developing a number of health conditions, including the following:

cardiovascular disease (CVD)
obesity
high blood pressure
type 2 diabetes

However, researchers believe that even if this additional weight isn't currently affecting health, difficulties in managing weight could lead to problems in the future, even if the extra weight isn't currently affecting health.

Body mass index (BMI)

The body mass index (BMI) is a common tool that calculates a person's risk of obesity based on their weight in relation to their height. A BMI calculation yields a single number that can be divided into the following groups. A BMI of:

less than 18.5 means a person is underweight.
between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal.
between 25 and 29.9 is overweight.
over 30 indicates obesity.

BMI based on age

When calculating BMI for adults, age does not play a role; however, it does for children. This is due to the fact that they are continuing to grow. Utilising the CDC's BMI calculator for children and teenagers is the best way to determine a child's body mass index (BMI).

The Body Mass Index (BMI) charts for children that are provided by the CDC make use of percentiles to make comparisons between the children's measurements and those of boys and girls of the same age and gender.

What is the problem with BMI?

The BMI is a very straightforward method of measurement. Although it takes a person's height into account, it does not take into account other factors such as:

measurements taken around the waist or hips
the amount or distribution of fat in a given body
the percentage of total body mass made up of muscle

These factors may have an impact on one's health. For instance, high-performance athletes typically have a low percentage of body fat and a very high level of fitness. They might have a high body mass index (BMI) due to the fact that they have a greater muscle mass, but this does not necessarily mean that they are overweight relative to their height.

BMI suffers from the additional shortcoming of being unable to differentiate between individuals of various ethnicities. According to a number of studies, non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans can all have significantly different levels of body fat despite having the same BMI.

This inaccuracy may lead to the incorrect diagnosis of a patient or an incorrect assessment of the risk factors that are unique to that individual.

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)

The Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) of a person is a comparison of their waist size to that of their hips. When an individual has higher levels of visceral fat, which is the fat that is found in the abdominal cavity and surrounds several major organs, they will have a higher WHR.

According to the findings of various studies, individuals who have a high WHR have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes.

This risk is increased in direct proportion to the larger the waist measurement is in comparison to the hip measurement. Because of this, the WHR is a helpful tool for calculating whether or not an individual has a healthy weight and size for their height.

Calculating the WHR

In order to determine a person's WHR, they should take a measurement around their waist at the narrowest part of their body, which is typically just above the belly button. After taking this measurement, they should then divide it by the width of their hip at its fullest point.

If a person's waist circumference is 28 inches and their hip circumference is 36 inches, for instance, they would divide 28 by 36 to determine their WHR, which would be 0.77.

Health risk	Male	Female
Low risk	below 0.9	below 0.8
Moderate risk	0.9–0.99	0.8–0.89
High risk	over 1.0	over 0.9

According to a number of studies, having a high WHR is associated with an elevated risk of developing myocardial infarctions, which are more commonly referred to as heart attacks.

However, the WHR does have some restrictions, just like the BMI does. This particular measurement, for instance, does not provide an accurate assessment of a person's total body fat percentage or their muscle-to-fat ratio.

Waist-to-height ratio

The waist-to-height ratio, also known as the WtHR, is an additional tool that, in comparison to BMI, may be able to more accurately predict the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and overall mortality.

Calculating the WtHR

To determine a person's WtHR, simply take their waist measurement and divide it by their height. If the result is 0.5 or lower, it is likely that they have a healthy weight for their height.

According to the findings of a study that was conducted in 2014, an individual's risk of developing heart complications is significantly increased when their WtHR is 0.52 or higher. Measurements that take into account an individual's waist size can be useful indicators of the health risks that are posed by that individual. This is due to the fact that the fat that collects around the middle of the torso and spreads outward can be detrimental to the health of the heart, kidneys, and liver.

Body fat percentage

A person's body fat percentage can be calculated by taking the weight of their fat and dividing it by their total body weight. This measurement takes into account both the essential and stored fat of an individual.

A person's activity level or body type are two factors that can influence the ideal percentage of total body fat. The approximate guidelines for males and females serve as a baseline for comparison.

Activity level	Male body type	Female body type
Athletes	6–13%	14–20%
Fit non-athletes	14–17%	21–24%
Acceptable	18–24%	25–31%
Obesity	25% or more	32% or more

In contrast to DMI, WHR, and WtHR, calculating a person's body fat percentage is a reflection of their body composition; therefore, it may be an appropriate method for determining a person's fitness level.

Nutritionist for healthy weight in Puerto Banus

There are four different ways to determine a person's weight: BMI, WHR, WtHR, and body-fat percentage.

It's possible that combining them is the most effective way to get an accurate picture of whether or not an individual should think about managing their weight.

If you are concerned about your weight, waist size, or overall body composition, consult our nutritionist for healthy weight in Puerto Banus, who will be able to provide guidance regarding appropriate choices.