The numbers that the scale shows or the measurements in your proportions can offer a lot of information about your state of health. Do not underestimate this information, since calculating the ideal weight goes far beyond being a fad. Above all, it helps us prevent certain conditions, you just have to make sure you choose the most correct method for each one.
How to calculate the ideal weight in women
It is not possible to speak of a single method to calculate the ideal weight in women. This can vary depending on factors such as physical complexion, age or height . To find our ideal weight we must look for the method that best suits us and not fall into false beliefs.
Throughout this article we give you numerous examples of methods you can use to calculate your ideal weight.
The correct weight according to the Body Mass Index
The Body Mass Index is used to determine whether a person may be overweight or obese. It is a method that can serve as a reference for women between the ages of 20 and 65 . Its downside is that it is not very accurate. This is so because it does not take into account some important variants such as physical complexion, age and gender.
To calculate the BMI, it is enough to divide the weight of the woman -in kilograms- by the meters of her height squared . That is, a woman who measures 1.68 and weighs 59 kilos, should take those 1.68 meters and multiply by two. Then you must take the weight in kilos and divide it by this figure: 59 / 3.36 = 17.55.
These values obtained in the equation can be interpreted in the following table:
- Less than 18.5 equates to being underweight.
- Between 18.5 and 24.9 is the normal weight range.
- Between 25 and 29.9 translates as overweight.
- Above 30 you begin to enter the obesity line. This can be mild, moderate, or morbid.
Although it may be a good formula to find the ideal weight , it must be remembered that it does not work well for all women.
Hip-waist ratio formula
This is obtained by dividing the number of inches at the waist by the inches at the hips. The resulting value must range between 0.64 and 0.85 , which are the values that are considered normal. For example, a woman with a 68 cm waist and 85 cm hips is located at 0.72, considered a stable value in her proportions. If your number is higher it means that you should start losing weight. Remember that an excess of fat in the middle area of the body exposes us to coronary problems, diabetes and high blood pressure, among others.
Perrault Dry formula
This formula is one of the lesser known methods of calculating ideal weight. In its favor, note that it is more reliable than BMI when including factors such as age. To perform the calculation, the following formula must be applied:
Height in centimeters – 100 + ((age / 10) * 0.9)
Wan der Vael
It is a formula to know the approximate ideal weight. It takes into account height and gender . The formula to calculate the ideal weight for women would be the following:
Ideal weight for women = ((height – 150) x 0.6) + 50
MLIC
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, now called MetLife, is one of the world’s largest providers of life insurance. In 1983 they published tables that indicated the “ideal weights” or “desirable weights” for greater longevity . They were based on data collected by 25 life insurance companies in Canada and the US, that is, more than 4.2 million people. Based on these data, a formula was developed to calculate the ideal weight . Is the next:
Ideal weight = 50 + (0.75 * (height – 150))
Lorentz formula
The Lorentz formula is one of the most used to calculate the ideal theoretical weight. It is based on the drill formula to which the variable s of sex has been added in order to achieve more exact results. The formula is as follows:
Ideal weight for women = (height cm – 100) – (height cm – 150) / 2
It must be taken into account that these formulas offer us estimates and results in accordance with the mean of the population. People with high amounts of muscle mass (strength athletes, bodybuilders or gymnasts, for example) could weigh more than those recommended by these formulas and still be at an appropriate weight. This is because being overweight or obese is the result of excess body fat, not muscle mass .
The correct weight for pounds
To calculate the ideal weight using the English system , the height is taken in feet and inches, and the weight in pounds. By this method, a person who is 5 feet tall should weigh 100 pounds. From these two values, 5 pounds should be added for each additional inch. This means that if a woman is 5.1 feet tall, she should weigh 105 to 122 pounds depending on her physical build.
To be more exact, 7 kilos are added to the value thrown in women with a large complexion and half if it is small.
Other methods that may be more accurate
To find the ideal weight according to height, there are more exact methods. These include measuring the percentage of body fat with calipers , which take care of the skin folds on the circumference of the body. In this way, the amount of fat is determined within the percentage of lean muscle mass that the whole body has.
The ideal percentage of body fat in women is between 21 and 24%. If you are an athlete, it should be between 14 and 20%. There are also other less common methods for calculating the ideal weight, such as hydrostatic weighing and electrical Bioimpedance . These are only offered in gyms or doctor’s offices due to the type of technology.
References
- Body mass index Extracted on 05/17/2017
