The Ideal Weight For Women

At some point in her life, nearly every woman has wondered about her ideal weight and how she might calculate it. Fat, muscle, bones, organs and fluids compose a person's weight. While nature dictates the makeup of the latter three, diet and exercise help determine where the number on the scale lands.

Importance

If a woman is overweight or obese, she is at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers. While fitting into the same pair of jeans you wore in high school may seem unreasonable, no evidence suggests that weight gain with age is mandatory. Taking the steps to reach or maintain an appropriate weight contributes not only to physical well-being but also to emotional and mental health.

Ideal Weight vs. BMI

"BMI" stands for body mass index. To assess ideal body weight, calculate height in meters and divide by weight in kilograms squared. BMI classifications consist of six categories, ranging from underweight to extreme obesity. A normal BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Calculation

To calculate ideal weight for women, according to Dr. James Norman on EndocrineWeb.com, start with a base of height of 5 feet tall and a base weight of 100 lbs. For every inch above 5 feet, add 5 lbs. For example, a woman standing 5 foot 2 has an ideal weight of 110 lbs. For every inch below 5 feet, subtract 2.5 lbs. Therefore, a woman standing 4 foot 11 would have an ideal body weight of 97.5 lbs.

Exceptions

Do not stress if the number calculated for ideal body weight does not equal the number on the scale or if the BMI calculation suggests an overweight classification. Your weight may fall within the 10 percent range that allows for body frame size (small, medium or large). Thus, a 5-foot-2 woman’s ideal weight range would be 99 to 121 lbs. (110 lbs. plus or minus 10 percent, depending upon her frame size). Because it does not take into consideration the body's muscle-to-fat ratio, BMI does not provide an accurate indication of body fat for athletes and elderly people.

Considerations

Keep in mind that ideal weight calculation is only a guide. While added muscle mass may place a woman outside her calculated ideal weight range or normal BMI, it is better to be a little overweight but fit as opposed to overweight and unfit. A study by Drs. Walter Willett and JoAnn Manson, which the Harvard Health Letter reported in March 2005, found that "physical activity didn’t completely eliminate the risks that attended being overweight or obese" in the study subjects, but it "lowered the death rate across all weight categories." Remember that eating in moderation and exercising daily help not only in reaching ideal weight but also in building muscle mass and maintaining cardiovascular health.