From the moment a baby is born, her weight and height are used as an instrument for predicting growth, overall health and potential problems. Defining normal is more a generalization than a precise figure due to variances due to genetics and environmental factors. Because of trends toward obesity, tracking height and weight -- and their repercussions -- has become a detailed science.
Significance For Adults
Normal adult height and weight falls within a range of numbers due to individual stature. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, provides height and weight data for all people from birth to age 20; adult estimates are derived at 20. For example, the average height and weight for women older than 20 is 64 inches tall and 128 pounds. Her normal range is between 115 lbs. and 144 lbs. The average height and weight for men older than 20 is 69 inches tall and 155 lbs. His weight range may fall between 140 lbs. and 174 lbs.
Significance For Children
Several growth charts from the CDC are used for children. Charts used for babies -- infancy to 36 months -- record length, weight and head circumference and plot these factors according to age and sex. Once a child can stand unassisted, charts for children ages 2 to 20 are used. These charts record height, weight and stature, as well as age and sex. The results reveal a child's growth pattern indicating a normal rate of growth versus possible health problems. A child's growth is ranked against his peers with consideration toward his own growth history. A small child may stay within the 10th percentile of growth all her life but is deemed 'normal' because she follows a healthy growth pattern.
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is one screening tool to determine whether any person, adult or child, is overweight -- although it has drawbacks. BMI calculates approximate body fat based upon height and weight -- and for children younger than 20, their age and sex are also included. The BMI equation is: weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared, multiplied by 703. Therefore, if an adult weighs 130 lbs. and is 63 inches tall, the equation is: 130 / (63)2 x 703, equaling a BMI of 23, the CDC says. BMI is often not accurate in cases of people with large frames and a lot of muscle mass. Some people don't consider it a dependable measuring tool.
Considerations
Once BMI is calculated, determine whether you fall into a normal range. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal. For children, BMI is interpreted into percentages. The previous example of the 17-year-old girl results in a BMI percentile of 71, with normal falling between 5 percent and 85 percent.
Warning
According to the CDC, the incidence of childhood obesity went from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008. Obesity in adults is above 15 percent in all states; nine states have a prevalence above 30 percent. Maintaining a normal, healthy weight is important for reducing your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
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