How much should I weigh?
This is the number one search question people use to find my site!
With this in mind, I think it is important to answer the question.
In the old days, the health insurance companies published charts based on Northern European ethnicity that matched height and weight. Nobody uses these charts anymore. We are not all Northern European!
Now, we look at BMI.
BMI, or body mass index is a formula used to create a range of estimated body fat content for a person based on weight for height. It gives a range, which if you fall into, means you likely have an acceptable amount of body fat.
This is the formula: BMI : Mass(kg)/ height in metres squared
Mass (lb)/height in inches squared x 703
Here is a link to a website where you can plug the numbers in!
BMI is just an estimate of body fat content per person. It does not measure how much body fat you have.
Here is a story that illustrates this:
I was at a Christmas gathering where I had a discussion with one of my friends. He told me that according to BMI charts, he is overweight, bordering on obese.
At 5 foot 10 and 205 pounds, he has a BMI of over 29.
He is also a soldier in the Canadian Military who has less than 10 percent body fat. The BMI estimates his fat content at higher than it is while making no adjustment for bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle or water. ( He has a lot of muscle).
This is the problem with BMI. It is just a best guess.
It can not tell if you are healthy or what your body composition actually is.
The range of what is normal also varies by ethnic background.
For the general population:
Normal: 18.5 to 24.9
Overweight: 25 to 29.9
Obese: 30 plus
For South Asians and Japanese ethnic groups:
Normal: 18.5 to 22.9
Overweight: 23.0 to 25
Obese: over 25
For All Asians:
A meeting was held in Singapore to determine health risk by BMI for all Asian groups. The experts came up with the following guidelines:
Low or acceptable risk for cardiometabolic* disease: 18.5 to 22.9
Moderate risk: 23 to 27.4
High risk: 27.5 and above
* stroke, heart disease, myocardial infarction( heart attack), diabetes, hypertension.
A more accurate way to measure risk is by combining BMI with waist circumference to estimate central or middle body fat. I will discuss the known guidelines for this within my next few posts.
The most accurate way to calculate body fat is to measure it. I will look at the various methods in a future post. Some methods are accessible to the public and some are not. Also, some measurement techniques are more accurate than others.
I will also write about the BMI guidelines for children which are different from the guidelines for adults.
BMI measurement is a tool that, in combination with a good medical history and physical/mental health exam, should give you some idea of how body fat is impacting a person’s health.
Other important questions to ask include:
Is the person well from a physical standpoint?
Are the body organs under any strain?
Is the person healthy from a mental health standpoint?
Do they feel good about their body and themselves?
Remember, there are some people who would be overweight or obese by BMI but show no sign of problems at that weight.
BMI is just a guideline. Any thoughts?