How much should you weigh to be considered healthy? Your current weight, height, activity level, muscle mass, body fat percentage, age are some key factors that help ascertain your ideal goal weight. Seeking help from a health professional/dietician is the best way to go about it, if you desire accuracy in setting a target.
Some Goal Weight factors you should know about:
BMI
BMI can be defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI indicates higher levels of fat accumulation in the body and puts us at greater risk of developing various health problems. It has its limitations but it gives us a good idea about our overall health, and possible risks based on one’s height and current weight. BMI fails to diagnose the fat percentage, which is essential for finding out if we have a healthy weight or are overweight. Health professionals continue to use it because it’s a quick and fairly reliable way to keep a person’s weight in check. You can try an online calculator to find out your BMI.
- Underweight – A BMI of less than 18.5
- Normal – A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9
- Overweight – A BMI of between 25 and 29.9
- Obese – A BMI over 30
AGE
Age plays an important role in weight management because it’s harder to lose weight as we get older. Lipid turnover in the tissue decreasing during ageing may lead to weight gain. This may not be as a result of any dietary or lifestyle changes. An ideal weight for a 25 year old female with the same height as a 40 year old may be different. The body fat percentage increases with age.
GENDER
Men and women are built differently and women don’t have dense bones and well developed muscle mass like men. Men tend to find it easier to lose weight as compared to women.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Maintaining a high activity level during our early years can help us manage our weight better when we enter middle age. The body fat percentage of an active athlete is often lower than those with sedentary lifestyles.
BODY FRAME
Body weight calculators that take into account a person’s body frame are likely to provide more accurate results about a healthy weight range and ideal goal weight.
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
Excessive abdominal body fat indicates a greater risk of developing obesity-related conditions. These may include type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Only a trained healthcare professional can accurately determine whether your waist circumference is ideal. It can be measured at home with a tape by placing it horizontally around the waist. For women above 20 years, it should be less than 35 inches to be considered normal and 40 inches for men. Spot reduction of fat around the waist is not possible. In order to lose weight around the waist, one has to target overall weight loss.
GENES
Genes and environment play an important role in determining our tendency to gain or lose weight. Some people never gain weight no matter what they eat. On the other hand, some have a hard time losing weight without overeating and in spite of exercising daily.
Some quick facts related to Goal Weight:
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , 1 to 2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss goal. That means, on average, aiming for 4 to 8 pounds of weight loss per month is a healthy goal.
- A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be normal in most cases.
- High body fat percentage puts us at a greater risk of diseases.
DISCLAIMER
The priority, in this blog, is to supply the reader with clear and unambiguous information. However, neither The New Me nor Gagan Dhawan makes promises, or guarantees regarding the completeness of the information found here. The content is not a replacement for advice of a licensed professional. The opinions expressed in this blog are solely that of the writer’s.
