An ideal body weight is one at which you experience optimal health and energy. Exceeding your ideal weight range increases your risk factors for certain diseases, especially if you qualify as 20 percent overweight. Your ideal weight depends on several factors, including your gender, body frame type, age and height. The following equations are appropriate for adults.
Broca's Index
In 1871, Dr. P.P. Broca---a French surgeon---introduced a formula known as Broca's index to calculate ideal body weight. The formula is that ideal weight (in kilograms) is derived by taking your height in cm and subtracting 100. From this number, the ideal range is plus or minus 15 percent for women and 10 percent for men. Height (in centimeters) - 100, plus or minus 15 percent for women or 10 percent for men. Somehow, Broca's formula was translated into a simple conversion for pounds and inches which consists of allowing 100 lbs. for women or 110 lbs. for men for the first 5 feet and adding an additional 5 lbs. for every inch over 5 feet. This means a woman standing 5 feet 5 inches should weigh 125 lbs.
Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) is a formula developed by Belgium statistician Adolphe Quelet in the 1800s. It is internationally recognized as a way to evaluate obesity---but may be slightly inaccurate for those who are extremely muscular. Many websites offer a simple plug-in page to figure your BMI, but the formula is simple. You take your weight in pounds and multiply it by the number 703. Divide this number by the square of your height in inches. The total is your body mass index. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, those falling below 18.5 are considered underweight, those in a range of 18.5 to 24.9 are considered normal, above 25 indicates you are overweight, and over 30 is obese. So if you are a woman at 5 feet 5 inches weighing 125 lbs., you would multiply 125 by 703 to equal 87,875. Then divide 87,875 by 4,225 (65 inches times 65 inches) for 20.7--well within the normal range.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio
The ratio of the smallest circumference of your waist (just above the belly button) to the circumference of your hips at the widest part is another measure of ideal weight range often used to determine your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A woman having a 28-inch waist and 36-inch hips has a waist-to-hip ration of .77 (28 divided by 36). A waist-to-hip ratio below .9 for men and .8 for women is considered good with minimal risk of cardiovascular health problems, .8 to .89 for women and .9 to .99 for men raises the risk of cardiovascular health problems to a moderate level. Men with a waist-to-hip ratio over 1, and women over .9 are at a high risk of cardiovascular problems.
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