The old-fashioned concept of an ideal weight based solely on height has been replaced with the notion of a "healthy weight" or more realistic weight based on your age, sex, frame size, genes and the state of your health. An acceptable range of weights has been established that takes all of these factors into consideration. There can be more than a 25-pound healthy weight range for people of the same height. You can determine your ideal weight and healthy weight range by calculating your body mass index (BMI).
Significance
When you know your ideal weight or healthy weight range for your height, you can compare yourself to a "norm." You can then determine if you are at a reasonable weight or if you need to consider losing (or gaining) weight. If your weight falls within the range and you don't feel as if you are overweight or unhealthy, you are likely to be at your ideal weight. The higher you are above the healthy weight range for your height, the higher your risk of developing chronic, weight-related medical problems.
Function
A healthy weight range helps individuals account for having more or less bone and muscle mass proportion to body fat when comparing themselves to others of the same height. For instance, men tend to have more muscle and bone than women, so it is the norm for a man and woman who are the same height to have different ideal body weights.
Identification
Ideal weight range varies for men and women of different heights For instance, ideal weight for a man who is 5'8" ranges from about 139-169 pounds. For a woman of the same height, the weight range is 126 to 154 pounds. If you are at your ideal weight or within your healthy weight range, your BMI will be between 19 and 25. A BMI of 25 to 25.9 is considered overweight and above that is considered obese.
Effects
If you are above your ideal weight range, you are overweight or obese and that puts you at increased risk of developing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer, such as breast and colon cancers.
Considerations
Your ideal body weight range, as measured by BMI, is only one predictor of your health, according to the American Heart Association. That's because BMI does not take into account the ratio of fat to lean mass in your body or the distribution of fat on your body. For example, if your fat is around your hips, you may have less risk of developing heart disease than someone with similar height and weight whose fat is gathered higher above the waist. Although your BMI is considered a realistic measure of your ideal weight, progressive medical conditions may begin when BMI is as low as 21, according to the World Health Organization.
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