What’s My Ideal Weight? Calculating BMI & WHR

We are bombarded with images of what is considered healthy body images. Should this be the end all be all of what is considered your ideal weight? More than likely, what we see in magazines and on television is completely unattainable and incorrect. While it is correct that the more weight, we carry the higher the risk of negative health effects, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. So how do we figure out what is right for each of us individually? We here at HPFY can give you a little insight into what might be your ideal weight or body type.

How to measure Ideal Weight?

Who hasn’t felt the dread before standing on the bathroom scale? This is only one number in determining what is your ideal weight. When considering your ideal weight, you should look at your BMI (Body Mass Index) and WHR (Waist-Hips Ratio). These two measurements are:

Body Mass Index

Also known as BMI, this measurement is derived from the height and weight of a person. This is calculated by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their height. This is often done in kilograms and meters, respectively. You can use the link below to calculate your ideal body mass index from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fat but should be used as a screening tool and not a diagnostic tool of body fatness and overall health.

Waist to Hips Ratio

This can also be known as WHR and determines how much fat may be stored in your hips, waist, and buttocks. This is determined by figuring out the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip’s circumference. When we carry more excess fat in our body there can be increased risk of heart disease, obesity, and type II diabetes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy waist to hip ratio is less than 0.9 in men and 0.85 for women. See the chart below:

To measure your WHR, use a tape measure to determine the circumference at your smallest part of your waist (just above the belly button). This will be your waist circumference. Then measure the distance around the largest part of your hips (usually around the buttocks) for your hip circumference. Divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference and you have your waist to hip ratio.

Other Fat Measuring Tools

Utilizing your Body Mass Index or Waist to Hip Ratio is a good guideline for determining how much extra fat you may be carrying, but are there other methods or tools that can help you determine if you are carrying too much body fat? Fortunately, there are, and they include:

1. Talking Body Fat Scale: This talking scale can accurately read the weight and announce body fat percentage. Make sure no one’s within earshot!!
2. Baseline Handheld Palm-Sized Body Fat Analyzer: By producing a body fat percentage without skin pinching, this handheld device can give you a body fat percentage from 5% to 50%. Accurate and convenient!!
3. Escali Glass Body Fat and Body Water Bathroom Scale: Besides measuring your weight, this scale can calculate your body composition based on weight, bioelectric impedance analysis, and a personal user profile.
4. Baseline Credit Card Style Body Fat Analyzer: Talk about convenient, this body fat analyzer measures body fat from 5% to 50% at 0.1% resolution. This useful tool also has a clock and an alarm.
5. Chattanooga Skinfold Caliper: This precision piece of equipment has measurement arms with floating tips under constant pressure which can measure the amount of non-lean tissue on your body. This can be used as a rough estimate of body fat.

Measuring excess body fat can help you and your doctor come up with a plan to keep you healthy and in a proper body mass/ratio for you. Keeping an eye on your body mass index or waist to hip ratio is a great idea especially this time year. The holidays have a penchant for adding a little extra to us every year. Be proactive and stay healthy!!

 

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