What is a Normal Weight Range for Men?

It's no secret that many women obsess over their weight. However, many men keep an eye on the scale as well, wanting to appear toned and strong. With such a range of shapes and sizes among men, it can be difficult to determine whether he is within the normal weight range.

Range

• The average adult man can weigh anywhere from about 100 to 200 pounds. However, there is also a range for each height. For each height a man may be (e.g., 6 feet), there is a range which spans approximately 55 pounds. It thus is normal to have one 6 foot tall man who weighs 140 pounds and another who weighs 195.

Leanness

• Leanness (i.e., physical fitness, not general thinness) is one of the primary factors of determining a "normal" range for male weight. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, thus a very short but very physically fit man may weigh the same as a very tall but overweight male. In general, the more similar the height and leanness of two men are, the smaller their range of weight probably will be.

Height

• Height is another determinant of male weight ranges. Smaller men tend to weigh less than taller males, simply because taller males typically have more bone and tissue mass. However, because of the leanness issue described above, this is not a hard and fast rule of thumb.

Body Mass Index

• Weight range for men can be measured in pounds, but it also can be calculated using the body mass index, or BMI. The body mass index measures the amount of body fat one has in comparison to lean tissue. A normal range for BMI measurements in men is 10 to 20 percent.

Other Considerations

• It is important to note that the methods of calculating male weight ranges and determining whether one is "healthy" based on one's place within the range is not an exact science. For example, a healthy weight range for a man who is 6 feet tall is said to be about 140 to 185 pounds. If the man gains 15 pounds of muscle from appropriate exercise, he would be considered out of the healthy range, both for his height and for the male population, even though the weight gained is not from fat. He would be considered to be overweight, even though his body-fat percentage actually may have lowered due to the exercise. This is why some in the medical profession advocate doing away with weight range and BMI charting altogether and propose measuring healthy weight with a more individualized assessment.