The generic calculation used to find an ideal body weight might not be accurate for you, especially if you have a small or large body frame. You can measure your wrists for an idea of your bone size or structure. Generalized calculations for ideal body weight often yield results that are more accurate for those with medium-size frames. Accuracy is necessary because it measures your risk for obesity and weight-related diseases. Larger bones naturally weigh more than smaller bones, so smaller-boned individuals have an ideal body weight that is less than what the generic calculators provide.
Step 1
Wrap the thumb and middle finger of your right hand around your left wrist. If your thumb and finger touch, then you have a medium-size frame. If the tip of your thumb and finger overlap or fit loosely, then you have a small frame. If your fingers do not touch, then you have a large frame.
Step 2
Take your height. Mark down the number in inches over 5 feet.
Step 3
Multiply 6 by inches in height above 5 feet. Take this number and add 106. The sum is the ideal weight for your height if you have a medium-size frame.
Step 4
Subtract 5 pounds from the ideal weight for medium-size body frames if you have a small frame.
Step 5
Add 5 pounds to the ideal weight if you have a large frame.
Step 6
Take your weight on a scale and divide it by your individualized ideal weight. This helps you further analyze your ideal body weight. If your division results in a number between 1.00 and 1.10, then you are an ideal weight for your body frame. Other results provided by the American College of Sports Medicine indicate: underweight if the result is less than 1.00, marginally overweight for results between 1.11 and 1.20, overweight if the number falls between 1.21 and 1.30, and obese if the number is over 1.31.
Tips and Warnings
- There is no clear consensus on the correct way to find ideal body weight in children. There are three methods of finding ideal body weight for children, but because their bodies have not fully grown, using the wrist measurement -- as used for adults -- would almost surely yield inaccurate results. Calculating ideal body weight using your wrist measurements is only appropriate for ages 20 to 65. Those over 65 run a higher risk of losing bone-mineral density than those who are younger. As a result, the calculation might yield inaccurate results.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
References
- "ACSM's Health-Related Physical Fitness Assessment Manual"; American College of Sports Medicine; June 2009
- "Nutrition in Clinical Practice"; Ideal Body Weight in Children; S. Phillips, et al.; April 2007
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