How to Estimate the Ideal Body Weight for Amputees

Maintaining an ideal body weight is important, especially for amputees. Excess weight increases your risk of developing health problems. According to a July 2001 study published in the "Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development," weight gain may reduce the functionality of and place excess strain on lower-limb prosthetics. Estimating your ideal body weight requires taking into account the likely weight of the amputated limb.

Instructions

• 1

  Check with your doctor to determine the standard ideal weight for a person of your height and build. Or, consult a chart (like the one in the Resources section) for average ideal body weight ranges for the average person of your height and build.

• 2

  Determine the approximate weight reduction for your amputation. According to the National Amputee Centre, an arm represents 6.5 percent of the body's weight (on average), a lower arm 2.2 percent, an upper arm 3.5 percent, a hand .84 percent, a lower leg 7.1 percent and a full leg, 18.7 percent.

• 3

  Multiply the applicable percent reduction by your ideal body weight. For example, a person with an ideal body weight of 180 pounds with a full leg amputation will multiply 180 by .187, which results in a 33.66-pound reduction.

• 4

  Subtract the weight reduction from the standard ideal body weight to determine your ideal body weight. In the example above, this would be 180 minus 33.66, or about 146 pounds.