According to the National Institutes of Health, over two-thirds of the United States population carries excess weight. Since 1960, this constantly growing weight problem has cost our society billions of dollars in preventable health problems. With this concern over Americans' expanding waistlines, several different assessment tools have been developed to categorize health risk. Body fat percentage, body mass index and height-to-weight charts all provide ways to measure weight status. Using your height to determine your ideal weight gives you a relatively accurate, easy way to calculate your ideal weight.
Step 1
Measure your current height with a tape measure by standing against a straight object such as a wall or door frame, or use the measuring stick on a medical scale. Stand tall and mark the place where the top of your head is. Take the measurement from the floor to the mark.
Step 2
Plug your height into the following Hamwi equation to calculate your ideal body weight. Health care professionals use the Hamwi equation to estimate ideal weight for height. Men should use 106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height and add 6 pounds for each inch over 5 feet. Women should use 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and add 5 pounds for each inch over 5 feet.
Step 3
Measure your wrist circumference in inches by placing the tape measure around the smallest part of your wrist.
Step 4
Determine your frame size by using your height, wrist circumference and the following data: For women under 5 feet 2 inches, a wrist size less than 5.5 inches is considered a small frame, between 5.5 inches and 5.75 inches medium and over 5.75 inches large. For women between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 5 inches, a small frame is a wrist measurement less than 6 inches, medium between 6 and 6.25 inches and large over 6.25 inches. If you are a woman taller than 5 feet 5 inches, a small frame measures less than 6.25 inches, medium between 6.25 inches and 6.5 inches and large is over 6.5 inches. Men taller than 5 feet 5 inches measure a small frame with a wrist size between 5.5 inches and 6.5 inches, a medium frame between 6.5 inches and 7.5 inches and a large frame if over 7.5 inches.
Step 5
Take the calculation in step 2 and add 10 percent for a large frame or subtract 10 percent for a small frame. You now know your ideal body weight.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Tape measure
- Calculator
Member Comments