Body Mass Index (or BMI) is one of the best ways to gauge an adult's
total body fat, simply using the person's height and weight. These values
apply to both men and women, regardless of their age, frame size, or muscle mass.
Someone with a BMI of 25 - 27 is considered overweight, while a person with
a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. The higher the BMI, the
greater the risk of developing other health problems, as well. Using BMI to determine whether one is overweight does have limitations. First,
these values do not apply to athletes, body builders,
pregnant or nursing women, frail or elderly persons, or persons under the age of 18.
Also, frame size isn't considered so those persons with a stockier build may be considered
overweight using this tool when, in actuality, they may not have a lot of body fat.
It is, however, a good guideline to assist you in determining where you stand on the weight range
spectrum, and may be an indicator for discussing your weight with your physician.
In June 1998, the US federal government issued new guidelines for determining
a healthy weight. A BMI of 24 or less is considered a healthy weight.
So now a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Individuals
who fall into the BMI range of 25 to 34.9, and have a waist size
of over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, are considered
to be at especially high risk for health problems.
Source: NIH Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, June 1998
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This tool is simple...you enter your weight and your height, and
it will tell you what your ideal body weight is, based on a
BMI of 22 with a range of 18.5 to 25. These are, as mentioned
above, the guidelines established by the federal government
for a healthy weight. Because this calculator uses
BMI as a basis for determining your ideal body weight, the tool is valid
for both men and women. Then, because Weight Watchers focuses
on the "10% difference", we have added a field to
tell you how much you'd need to lose of your current weight to
attain that 10% difference.
If you're interested in what WW considers to be the ideal weight range for
your height and age, this tool is for you! You simply enter your age and your height (in feet and inches), and
it will tell you what your ideal weight range should be.
