Finding The Ideal Body Weight – Part 1

Over 60% of the adults in the United States today are considered overweight when their actual weight is compared to their ideal weight or body mass index. Being overweight increases your risk of developing diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, gallbladder, gout, stroke and certain types of cancer. Losing as little as 5% of your body weight can actually decrease your risk of developing these conditions and improve your overall health.

Interestingly, individuals who are underweight can also have health conditions which negatively affect their overall health, such as heart problems, chronic fatigue and anemia. For individuals who are obsessed with weight loss they may also suffer from eating disorders and nutritional deficiencies that can be life-threatening. Individuals who are underweight because of medical conditions, such as treatment protocols for cancer or thyroid disorders, will also suffer from nutritional deficiencies and potentially experience long-term cardiac effects.

Establishing an ideal body weight is a little bit more complicated than looking at a chart and picking a number. For instance, the body mass index is established based on how much an individual weighs in relationship to how tall they are. An athlete will have a higher body mass index because they have a higher amount of lean body mass or lean muscle mass which weighs more than fat.

Establishing an ideal body weight starts with figuring out what size frame you are. Take your thumb and index finger and wrap it around your wrist. If your thumb and index finger overlap then you have a small frame, if they meet you have a medium frame and if they do not meet you have a large frame.

There are specific calculations which can now help you to determine your ideal body size incorporating your height, weight and gender. However, if these calculators are not at your disposal then there is a slightly more simple method of obtaining the same data. Use the calculation to obtain your body mass index.

BMI = (Weight in pounds/(height in inches)(height in inches)X 703