ideal weight calculator (2023)

FAQs

Are ideal weight calculators accurate? ›

Truth be told, none of them is perfectly accurate, as there are a lot of factors influencing it. For example, for people with a lot of muscle mass (and high lean body mass), their ideal weight will tend to be more than indicated by the results they obtain.

To determine body weight in pounds, the desired BMI is multiplied by 5 and then add BMI/5 lb for each inch >5 ft in height. For instance, for a BMI of 20, start with 100 lb for a height of 5 ft and add 4 lb for each additional inch of height. For a BMI of 25, start with 125 lb and add 5 lb for each inch of height.

A person who has normal weight obesity is just as unhealthy as someone with a high BMI. Research on body fat percentage has improved in recent years, and in some cases, this measurement may provide a better picture of an individual's risk of weight-related diseases than BMI.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute indicates that a healthy weight for a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall ranges from 110 to 140 pounds with a BMI of 19 to 24.

While your BMI is more of a rough estimate of the amount of body fat you have, calculating your body fat percentage tends to be more accurate, as it takes more factors into account than just height and weight to better distinguish fat from non-fat tissue.

As you age, your muscle mass decreases and your fat mass increases. Fat is less metabolically active than muscle—you don't need as many calories to maintain fat as you do to maintain muscle. Hormonal changes can also lead to weight gain.

Older adults tend to lose muscle and bone, so more of their body weight is likely to come from fat. Younger people and athletes may weigh more due to strong muscles and denser bones. These realities can skew your BMI number and make it less accurate for predicting exact body fat levels.

Does age matter in body weight? ›

Changes in total body weight vary for men and women. Men often gain weight until about age 55, and then begin to lose weight later in life. This may be related to a drop in the male sex hormone testosterone. Women usually gain weight until age 65, and then begin to lose weight.

Hi, ideal body weight for a 5.3" is 55-60 kgs.

This table shows us that a woman who is 5 ft. 4 in. tall is considered overweight (BMI is 25 to 29) if she weighs between about 145 and 169 pounds. She is considered obese (BMI is 30 or more) if she is closer to 174 pounds or more.

It completely depends on the woman's height. In standard women's clothing sizes, Size 10 is considered “Medium”. A woman who is 4′ 10″ or less and wears size 10 Petite clothing would likely be considered overweight.

What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.

Weight fluctuates with body size, so there's no “ideal” body weight for all people. Everyone has a different body frame, body fat distribution, and height, all of which determine your healthiest weight range.

The specific proportions of 36–24–36 inches (90-60-90 centimeters) have frequently been given as the "ideal", or "hourglass" proportions for women since at least the 1960s (these measurements are, for example, the title of a hit instrumental by The Shadows).

The average American woman 20 years old and up weighs 170.6 pounds and stands at 63.7 inches (almost 5 feet, 4 inches) tall. And the average waist circumference? It's 38.6 inches. These numbers may or may not be surprising to you.

What is a healthy BMI for a 5 4 female? ›

A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is considered normal or healthy for most women.

The reference woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 126 pounds. Estimates range from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day for adult men.

BMI doesn't account for body composition, which means it misses the difference between muscle mass and fat. Because muscles are more dense and heavier than fat, bodybuilders and other professional athletes like football players are often considered obese or overweight based on their BMI alone.

A new study found that your waist-to-hip ratio might be a more accurate measure of what's a healthy weight for you than your BMI. If you're concerned about what these numbers mean for your health, there are steps that you can take to reach a weight that supports your health.

We active folk tend to have a higher proportion of muscle tissue, which by nature is denser than fat tissue. That means we sometimes see big numbers on the scale even if we have relatively low body fat. BMI also says nothing about how your fat is distributed.

Here's something to ponder as you consider whether to ditch that New Year's resolution to exercise more: Your 20s are your prime weight-gaining years, according to data from the CDC. The charts above are approximations of typical lifetime weight gain, based on CDC data, which is reported in 10-year increments.

Those extra pounds were packed on in early adulthood: The average American gained about 17.6 pounds from their mid-20s to mid-30s, the study found. Meanwhile, the average person gained about 14.3 pounds between their 30s and 40s, 9.5 pounds between their 40s and 50s, and 4.6 pounds between their 50s and 60s.

As we reach our 30's, our bodies usually need less energy, meaning we may not be able to eat the way we did in our 20's. Then, as you move past 40 and head to middle age, changes in muscle, hormones and metabolism all make it harder to stay trim.

Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.

Despite what you may have heard, your stomach doesn't actually shrink with age, Hobbins says. But there do seem to be changes to the stretchiness of your tummy that happen alongside aging that mistakenly tell the brain you're full when you're not, she says, leading some older folks to lose weight as they age.

At what age do you start to feel old? ›

According to the research, the average American starts feeling old at the age of 47. Similarly, the average respondent starts to really worry about age-related bodily changes around 50 years old.

July 25, 2005 -- Our fitness levels naturally begin a slow decline after our 20s and plummet once we reach our 70s, according to a new study. But the good news is that regular exercise may compensate for some of those natural losses and help your body feel years younger.

The most common signs of premature aging include: Skin changes like wrinkles, age spots, dryness, loss of skin tone, hyperpigmentation around your chest and sagging. Hair loss or graying hair. Gaunt face (sunken cheeks).

Physical capacity and muscle strength generally peak between 20 and 30 years of age and then start to decline [R]. This is partly due to the fact that the body isn't able to provide muscles with oxygen at the same high rate it did before due to a drop in cardiac output and VO2Max [R].

Although BMI wasn't entirely accurate at determining who was overweight or not, it was very accurate at determining who was obese or not. The scientists found that 95% of men and 99% of women who were obese according to the BMI chart were, in fact, actually obese according to their measured body fat percentage.

As for accuracy, a handheld BIA device has about a ± 3.5- 5% margin of error. To get the most accurate reading when using a BIA, it is best to avoid exercising, showering, drinking alcohol, drinking a large amount of water or eating a meal one to two hours prior to a reading.

As most of us fitness-focused folks have likely heard, BMI is far from a perfect measurement. Much of the time, and often when it really counts, the BMI measurement may actually overestimate or even underestimate a person's body fat.

(27) found that the most frequently selected ideal body had a BMI of 19.79, closely followed by an underweight ideal of 18.26. Ahern et al. (28) found that a BMI of 20 was considered the most attractive, while Swami et al. (29), and MacNeill and Best (30), found that an underweight body was most frequently selected.

As we get older, our bodies don't respond the same way to weight loss efforts, and science has some explanations to offer. As we age we naturally tend to gain weight, to the tune of 1 to 2 pounds (lb) per year, according to a review by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

DEXA (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry)

There are many ways of getting your body fat tested, but most experts will agree that the DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scan is the most accurate testing technology available.

What is the most accurate body fat tester? ›

A DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, best known for bone density testing) scan is the most accurate way of measuring body fat percentage, but — as a medical imaging test — it's not meant for routine use.

From an accuracy perspective, hydrostatic weighing has perhaps the highest level of accuracy, while bioelectrical impedance and BMI/circumference measures have the lowest.

Scientists say waist-to-hip ratio better measure for healthy weight than BMI.

Also, BMI does not distinguish between excess fat, muscle, or bone mass, nor does it provide any indication of the distribution of fat among individuals.