Ideal Weight Calculator
The Ideal Weight Calculator determines appropriate body weight indexes relative to height, gender and age. The concept of calculating IBW using a formula is not new to many experts. There still exist a few well-known formulas and our Ideal Weight Calculator offers results from several of them for easy comparison.
What Is My Weight Goal?
It’s safe to say that most people have, to some extent, either tried to reduce their body weight or personally known others who have. This is predominantly due to the existence of an “ideal” body weight, which is commonly plastered all over social media, television shows, movies, and even magazines. While ideal body weight (IBW) is often based on one’s self-perceived aesthetic value, the concept was originally designed to gauge dosages for medical application, and the programming that calculates them has nothing to do with visual appreciation. It has become clear that the metabolism of some medicines is to a greater extent controlled by IBW as opposed to total body weight. In contemporary times, IBW is also widely accepted in the sporting industry because many sports categorize participants according to weight.
It is important to recognize that Ideal Weight Calculator is not a perfect metric of health. For example, it does not account for the ratio of muscle to fat in an athlete’s body composition. Consequently, exceptionally fit and healthy athletes may be classified as overweight according to their IBW. This is why IBW should not be accepted without criticisms. One should consider its limitations and understand that it is not an accurate indication of health, nor is it a realistic weight target; an individual can be above or below their “IBW” and be perfectly healthy.
Estimating how much a person should weigh with an ideal weight calculator is far from an exact science. It varies significantly between individuals. As pointed out, there are no calculations, whether they are IBW or body mass index (BMI), that definitively tell people the ideal weight for them to maintain to be in good health. At best, they are benchmarks for reference. More effort should be dedicated towards making healthy lifestyle decisions, such as exercising regularly, avoiding processed foods, and sleeping enough, rather than attempting to achieve a target weight that is based off a calculation estimation.
Keeping that in mind, there are a multitude of factors that can influence an ideal weight, and the most impactful ones are stated below. Other factors are health issues, fat distribution, childbearing, etc.
Age
Theoretically, age should not be a significant factor for IBW estimates after the ages of 14-15 for females and 16-17 for males, when growth cessation generally occurs. By age seventy, it is actually predicted that human males and females shrink in height by 1.5 and 2 inches, respectively. It should be noted that while aging does occur, there is a progressive loss of lean body mass and an increased ease in gaining additional body fat. Although this is part of the natural evolutionary process, the impacts of aging can be diminished through the implementation of proper nutrition and exercise, as well as stress and sleep management.
Gender
Typically, even with a higher percentage of body fat, women weigh less than men. This is mainly due to the increased muscle mass in a male’s body, as muscles are relatively heavier than fat tissues. In addition, women have a comparatively lower bone density. Moreover, men, in comparison to women, tend to be taller.
Height
The greater the height of a person, the greater the amount of muscle mass and body fat possessed, resulting in higher weight. A male of the same height as a female is expected to weigh at least 10-20% more.
Body Frame Size
Yet another determinant of a person’s ideal weight is the body frame size. A body frame size is classified as small, medium, or large-boned. The width of bone structure can be determined by the ratio between a person's height and the circumference of his or her wrist, as depicted below.
For Females: a height of under 5’2’’ A small-boned individual has wrists that are lower than 5.5’’ in diameter. A medium-boned person’s wrist size is between 5.5’’ and 5.75’’. A large-boned individual possesses a wrist size over 5.75’’ Small to Medium height of 5’2’’ to 5’5’’ Small-boned individuals have a wrist size under 6’’, while medium-boned females have a wrist measurement in the range of 6’’ - 6.25’’. Lastly, large-boned people have more than a 6.25’’ wrist size. Large height of over 5’5’’ Small-boned individuals have wrist sizes under 6.25’’, medium-boned individuals measure 6.25’’ - 6.5’’ and large-boned sculptures possess wrist sizes over 6.5’’. For Males: Height of above 5’5’’ Small-boned sculptures have wrist sizes of 5.5’’-6.5’’, medium-boned men are 6.5’’-7.5’’ and large-boned men have hands over 7.5’’. Having a large bone structure definitely exacerbates weight, resulting in a person carrying more weight than someone who has a smaller bone frame, and hence body size/structure becomes a contributory factor upon estimating calculations like the ideal body weight and body mass index.
Methods for Calculating Optimal Weight
The primary purpose of all IBW formulas is to simplify the calculations of drug dosages. Each formula is constructed in a specific way with a base weight assigned to a height of five feet and a certain weight increment given for every inch over five feet. For instance, let us consider the case of a male who is 5‘10”. If he is determining his ideal weight via the Devine formula, he would take the 50 kg base weight and add (2.3 × 10) kg, which would give him 73 kg, or approximately 161 lbs.
The underlying structure of the formulas may be different, but they all rely on the particular values different scientists put forward based on their individual research. The Devine formula is, by far, the most commonly known for calculation of IBW.
G. J. Hamwi Formula (1964)
Male: 48.0 kg + 2.7 kg for each inch over 5 feet
Female: 45.5 kg + 2.2 kg for each inch over 5 feet
Formulated specifically for medicinal use.
B. J. Devine Formula (1974)
Male: 50.0 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet
Female: 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet
The formula, much like the Hamwi Method, was initially designed to serve as a central factor in calculating medicinal doses based on height and weight. As years passed, it evolved into a more formidable indicator of IBW.
J. D. Robinson Formula (1983)
Male: 52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch over 5 feet
Female: 49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch over 5 feet
Modification of the Divine Formula.
D. R. Miller Formula (1983)
Male: 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch over 5 feet
Female: 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5 feet
Modification of the Divine Formula.
Healthy BMI Range
The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the recommended healthy ideal weight calculator as anywhere between 18.5 and 25 for both males and females. With the use of the BMI range, it is possible to determine a healthy weight for any height.
BMI is now a metric that a lot of people use to determine ideal weight calculator. It is common in medicine since it serves as a rough estimate of a person’s possible health issues. In most cases, a person with a high BMI is more likely to suffer from health complications such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. In essence, doctors rely on this measurement to warn patients who appear to gain weight progressively and, at the moment, it serves as the principal parameter to tell how obese a person is by classifying him or her into various degrees of obesity.
Child and adolescent BMI is more complex due to the various growth stages they undergo.
The above calculations are applicable for adults only, meaning 18 years old and above. In the case of minors and teenagers, see the following BMI Ideal Weight Calculator charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC suggests that minors should have a BMI value between the fifth and eighty-fifth percentile according to their age.
Drawbacks of IBW Calculator
Every formula and method comes with its limitations. The more broadly applicable a formula is, the less precise it becomes for each person. The only variables considered are height and sex, meaning that higher-order physical disabilities, individuals with extreme proportions, levels of physical activity, and the skeletal muscle mass to fat mass ratio, or body composition, are ignored. Our Ideal Weight Calculator is a rough estimation based on known formulas, and results should not be taken as absolute values a person is supposed to meet in order to be deemed as “ideal weight.”
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