Reaching and maintaining your ideal weight can improve your chances of staying healthy and reduce your risk of developing some chronic diseases. Your body mass index can help determine your healthy weight for your height. If your BMI is above 25, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends losing five to 10 percent of your current weight to help you move toward a healthier weight.
Step 1
Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide the result by your height in inches again.
Step 2
Multiply this result by 703. This result is your BMI.
Step 3
Determine your weight classification by using a BMI classification chart. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other health organizations can provide this for you.
Step 4
Calculate 5 to 10 percent of your current body weight if your BMI is above 25; to do this, multiply your current weight by 0.05 and again by 0.1. This amount of weight loss should be your first goal as your work toward your ideal weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Your BMI can also be calculated using an online calculator provided by many health and government organizations, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visit with your doctor to determine additional weight-related health risks and suggestions for your weight-loss plan. A registered dietitian and an exercise specialist can help you develop a healthy diet and exercise plan to start your progress towards your healthy weight. If your BMI is in the normal range, you should maintain healthy habits to stay at a healthy weight for your height.
- Because BMI is not a direct measure of body fat, your waist circumference and body-fat percentage are tests that can be done by your health professional to determine your weight and body composition-related health risks. BMI may overestimate body fat in bodybuilders and muscular athletes and underestimate body fat in older adults. As you start to work toward your healthy weight, Andrea Wenger Hess, a nutritionist at the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, reports that men should not eat fewer than 1,400 calories each day and women should not eat fewer than 1,200 calories each day.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Paper
- Pen
- BMI classification chart
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk
- Harvard School of Public Health; The Nutrition Source: How to Get to Your Healthy Weight; 2011
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Adult BMI Calculator; 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Common-Sense Strategies to Long-term Weight Loss; 2011
Member Comments