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The Ideal Weight for Age

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your ideal body weight is based on your BMI, or body mass index, not your actual weight. BMI is typically calculated using your weight and your height, but another factor--age--also plays a big part in finding your ideal BMI and weight.

  1. Calculating Your BMI

    • To determine your BMI, according to the National Institutes of Health, take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 703. Then, divide the sum you get by your height in inches. For example, if your height is 5 feet 2 inches, you'd divide by 62. Divide the new figure by your height in inches again to calculate your BMI.

    Adults

    • According to the West Virginia Dietetic Association, the ideal BMI for most adults in 20 to 25. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider individuals with a BMI under 18.5 to be underweight. Adults with a BMI over 25 are considered overweight. A BMI over 30 is considered obese. On average, women tend to have higher BMIs than men, due to higher healthy fat content.

    Children

    • Since a child or teenager's height and weight fluctuates as they grow, the CDC uses a different model to figure if a child or teen is over or underweight. Although the BMI formula is still used, a child's ideal weight is figured based on the typical height and weight of peers her age, using a standard growth chart. Below the 5th percentile is underweight; above the 85th percentile is overweight.

    Elderly

    • Although BMI is calculated in the same way in the elderly, BMI figures are typically higher in older individuals, according to the CDC. As you age, you lose muscle cells, resulting in higher body fat content in the body. Because of this, the National Institutes of Health say it's better for an individual over 65 to have a slightly higher BMI than a normal adult, between 25 to 27.

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