How Much Am I Supposed to Weigh?

There are several factors that go into determining what a healthy weight is for you. Because every person has a different combination of these factors, it is not sufficient to think that because you are the same height as someone you should be the same weight.

BMI

• One way to determine your ideal weight is to find out what your body mass index (BMI) is. The BMI can be found be looking and at a chart to see what the ideal weight should be for your gender, age and height.

Frame Size

• The size of your body frame can sometimes cause your BMI to incorrectly reflect what your weight should be. This is one reason why having a professional do an in-depth analysis to determine your BMI and ideal weight is a good idea.

Waist to Hip Ratio

• Figuring out your waist to hip ratio is another way to determine if you are at, above or below your ideal weight. A healthy waist circumference for a woman is less than 31 1/2 inches or less than 37 inches for a man. To find your waist to hip ratio, divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference. The ideal measurement would be below 0.8 for a woman and below 1.0 for a man.

Genes

• Genes also play a role in what your ideal weight should be. Fat deposits in the belly area have been shown to have some genetic linkage. Genetics can also affect the ratio of fat to muscle in your body.

Metabolism

• Your metabolism, or how fast your body burns calories, also has an affect on what your ideal weight should be. A naturally slow metabolism is usually inherited genetically.