Maintaining a healthy body weight is essential for maintaining good physical and emotional health. A woman's ideal body weight depends on a variety of factors, including her age, gender, height, activity level and frame size. Although it's impossible to estimate accurately your ideal weight simply based on your age and gender, there are a variety of calculations based on your height that you can use.
Ideal Body Weight
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine website, there is a simple formula to help determine your ideal body weight. For females, allow 100 lbs. for the first 5 feet of height, plus an additional 5 lbs. for each additional inch of height. If you have an unusually small body frame, subtract 10 percent from the final number. If you have an unusually large body frame, add an additional 10 percent to the final number. For convenience, the Rush University Medical Center website features an "Ideal Weight and Height Chart." Using your height as a guide, the chart provides your healthy weight range.
Frame Size Considerations
The Changing Shape website offers a convenient chart for determining healthy body weight based on height. However, this chart also takes your frame size into consideration. For a quick determination of your frame size, wrap your thumb and index finger of your right hand around your left wrist. If your finger overlaps your thumb, you have a small frame. If the two fingers simply touch, you have a medium frame. If your fingers do not touch, you have a large frame.
Body Mass Index
Rather than using the ideal body weight formula, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure body size. In fact, the CDC website explains that the BMI measurement correlates closely to direct body fat measurements. To determine your body mass index, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared. Multiply this final number by 703. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy and a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI under 18.5 is underweight, while a BMI over 30.0 is obese.
Body Fat
Along with measuring body weight and body mass index, the U.S. National Library of Medicine recommends measuring your body fat percentages. Women should aim to have a body fat percentage between 20 and 21 percent. Calculating your body fat percentage involves careful measurements and calculations. For an easier option, visit your physician or fitness trainer for an accurate body fat measurement.
References
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Weight Management
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About BMI for Adults
- Rush University Medical Center: Ideal Weight and Height Chart
- Changing Shape: Calculate Ideal Body Weight
- Sports Fitness Advisor: How To Calculate Body Fat... The Best and Worst Techniques
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