What Should My Proper Weight Be for My Height?
The guideline for weight to height ratio is known as the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI was conceived by Belgian statistician L.A.J. Quetelet and makes it possible to calculate the healthy weight of a person based on their height.
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BMI Categories
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The Body Mass Index is a simple calculation, and BMI charts are readily available online. BMI scores are broken down into five categories which are as follows: less than 18.5, underweight; 18.5 to 24.9, normal weight; 25 to 29.9, overweight; 30 to 39.9, obese; 40 and higher, morbidly obese.
Calculating BMI
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To calculate your BMI score you need to multiply your weight in pounds by 703, then divide the result by height in inches multiplied by itself.
So for a man who is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 lbs. the calculation is as follows:
200 times 703, which equals 140,600; 72 times 72, which equals 5,184; 140,600 divided by 5,184, which equals 27.12. Therefore he has a BMI of 27.12.
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Considerations
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Although the BMI scale is useful for providing a guideline weight for an average person, it has certain failings. The system takes no account of body composition; therefore, the results should be put into context. For example, fat and muscle are not discriminated using the BMI, so long-distance runners will tend to record low BMIs even though they generally are healthy; the same is true for strength athletes who often record higher BMIs due to extra muscle.
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References
- Photo Credit weigh-in image by askthegeek from Fotolia.com
