Healthy Weight Range: A Stunning Revelation
Here are three helpful tools for evaluating your healthy weight:
Body mass index, or BMI, is a general assessment of body weight and can indicate that your weight puts you at risk for certain diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, or diabetes. According to Harvard Women’s Health Watch:
- people with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight and
- those who have a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese.
To calculate your BMI, use this formula: Weight in pounds × 703 + (height in inches)2 or use this chart. Although BMI can signify a potential towards disease, some researchers think BMI can be misleading as it does not
account for people who are tall or very muscular. Consult your physician regarding a healthy BMI range for you.
Waist-to-hip ratio is a marker of your abdominal fat. The risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary heart disease is higher in people who have a disproportionate amount of body fat in the abdomen. This is sometime referred to as apple- or pearshape body.
In women, the risk for heart disease and stroke begins to rise at a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8. To measure your waist-to-hip ratio, use this formula: Divide your waist measurement at its narrowest point by your hip measurement at its widest point.
Measuring waist circumference is the simplest way to check for abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is exceptionally dangerous because it can make the body resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Problems with insulin resistance can lead to diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. To measure your waist circumference, run a tape measure around your torso at about the level of your navel. In women with a BMI of 25 to 34.9, a waist circumference greater than 35 is considered high risk.
Tool |
Calculation |
Risk indicator |
| Body mass index (BMI) | Weight in pounds × 703 + (height in inches)2 | Overweight = 25 – 29 .9 Obese = 30+ |
| Waist-to-hip ratio | Divide waist measurement at its narrowest point by your hip measurement at its widest point | 0.8 or more |
| Waist circumference | Run a tape measure around your torso at the level of your navel |
35 inches or more (in women with BMI = 25 – 34.9) |