With nearly two-thirds of Americans overweight, researchers continue to study the epidemic, coming up with varying results. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, studies throughout the 2000s found people who are overweight are at a higher risk of developing everything from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer's and diabetes. Other reports show that being underweight also leads to a plethora of medical consequences. While the causes of death and disease may vary according to different reports, the bottom line is that the healthiest goal is to find and stick to your ideal weight.
Significance
Keeping track of weight regularly helps you stay on top of extra pounds before they add up to significant weight gain, which is harder to lose. Gauging your ideal weight takes into account your height and your body mass index, according to Rush University Medical Center. Athletes with extensive muscle mass may weigh more, but maintain a low, healthy body mass index.
Features
Classic charts for ideal weight are based on widely accepted insurance adjuster measurements, which often vary by a pound or two. For example, according to the Arizona State University College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, an older woman who is five-foot-seven should weigh in between 122 to 149 pounds. Insurance charts often break down the estimates to include frame size. For example, Met Life, which initiated its height/weight charts in 1943, asserts that five-foot-seven women with small frames should weigh between 123 and 136; or 133 to 147 for those with medium frames. Large framed women of the same height should weigh between 143 and 163.
Considerations
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, an important factor you should take into consideration is your body mass index, or BMI. BMI is used to calculate the amount of fat you carry, often a better predictor of health issues than weight. The normal BMI for older women ranges between 18.5 and 24.9. To determine your BMI, multiply your weight times 703 and divide that number by your height in inches. Repeat the division with your height and you'll get your body mass index.
Identification
Your waist circumference is another factor that must be identified when calculating your ultimate fitness level. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, carrying excess weight around your middle puts you at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The risks for older women increase if your waist is bigger than 35 inches.
Recommendations
Older women with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight; obesity begins when your body mass index tops 30. BMI charts usually correlate pretty closely to the ideal weight charts provided by insurance companies. Obese women should take more drastic weight-loss efforts related to imminent health risks. Otherwise healthy women with a BMI less than 30 can make moderate dietary changes and increase physical activity to get in line with their ideal weight and body mass index, according to the Weight-control Information Network.
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