What is the Ideal Weight for My Height?

Maintaining a healthy body weight is important to an overall healthy life, but how do we measure our ideal weight? One common way is to measure it against your height. For persons of every stature, there is an ideal weight for height.

First of all, when we speak of ideal weight for height, we’re speaking specifically in accordance to accepted medical standards. The medical standard is commonly expressed by Body Mass Index.

Body Mass Index (BMI)


BMI can be calculated by using one of two formulas. The English BMI formula which uses your weight in pounds and your height in inches, or the Metric BMI Formula which uses your weight in kilograms and your height in meters.

English BMI formula
BMI= (weight in pounds/(height in inches)x(height in inches)) x 703

Metric BMI formula
BMI= weight in kilograms/(height in metres) x ( height in meters)

After calculating your BMI, you check it against a classified scale which will show where you stand regarding your weight. If you are in the normal range this represents your ideal weight for height.

BMI Classification Scale

18.5 or less  Underweight
18.5 to 24.99  Normal
25-29.99  Overweight
30-34.99  Level 1 Obesity
35 -39.99  Level 2 Obesity
40 and over  Morbidly Obese

It is important to note that BMI is relative. Every body type is different. It is also important to note that men and women differ. A male body contains more muscle mass than a female?s (muscle weighs more than fat) and thus he will weigh more for his height.

Another way of finding the ideal weight for height takes the body type into consideration. Below are weight charts for women and men based on height and frame.

Height Small Frame Medium Frame Large Frame
4’10” 102-111 109-121 118-131
4’11” 103-113 111-123 120-134
5’0″ 104-115 113-126 122-137
5’1″ 106-118 115-129 125-140
5’2″ 108-121 118-132 128-143
5’3″ 111-124 121-135 131-147
5’4″ 114-127 124-138 134-151
5’5″ 117-130 127-141 137-155
5’6″ 120-133 130-144 140-159
5’7″ 123-136 133-147 143-163
5’8″ 126-139 136-150 146-167
5’9″ 129-142 139-153 149-170
5’10” 132-145 142-156 152-173
5’11” 135-148 145-159 155-176
6’0″ 138-151 148-162 158-179
Height Small Frame Medium Frame Large Frame
5’2″ 128-134 131-141 138-150
5’3″ 130-136 133-143 140-153
5’4″ 132-138 135-145 142-156
5’5″ 134-140 137-148 144-160
5’6″ 136-142 139-151 146-164
5’7″ 138-145 142-154 149-168
5’8″ 140-148 145-157 152-172
5’9″ 142-151 148-160 155-176
5’10” 144-154 151-163 158-180
5’11” 146-157 154-166 161-184
6’0″ 149-160 157-170 164-188
6’1″ 152-164 160-174 168-192
6’2″ 155-168 164-178 172-197
6’3″ 158-172 167-182 176-202
6’4″ 162-176 171-187 181-207

A simple way to figure out your frame size is to wrap your index finger and thumb around your wrist. If the two fingers overlap, then you have a small frame, if they just touch at the tips then you have a medium frame, and if they cannot meet then you have a large frame.

These figures (BMI and weight according to height and frame) only relate to adults; as children’s growth is erratic, their ideal weight for height is much more difficult to pinpoint.

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