How to Figure Out What Is Right Body Weight for You?
In these body conscious days, it common for people to want to lose weight. When you set out on a weight loss regime, people often want to set goals for themselves, or have a target weight for themselves to aim for. How should you calculate this figure? What is your perfect body weight?
The first thing to say is that in losing weight, you should aim to adopt a lifestyle that will not only help you lose weight, but that will give you better overall health and fitness. If you alter your lifestyle and get into good, healthy habits in the long term, you are more likely to achieve your goal of losing weight, and you will be more likely to keep the weight off. In addition to that, the potential health benefits of a healthy diet and exercise routine are too numerous to list in this article.
The most often used tool to ascertain the ideal body weight, or a range of ideal body weight is the body mass index (BMI). Body Mass Index is a figure number calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight and then entering the results into a table. BMI is thought to be a reliable indicator as to whether a person is within the normal weight range, or whether they are underweight, overweight, obese etc. However, BMI does not calculate actual body fat content but estimates what would be a healthy weight for the average person of a certain height. BMI could be considered as an alternative to more direct and accurate measures of body fat. BMI also has the advantage that it is a convenient, inexpensive and easy way to determine whether you are overweight, and to see what your ideal, healthy weight should be.
A more accurate measure of your body composition can be gained by carrying out body fat percentage test. This can be done by your doctor who can test you either by using calipers, or more sophisticated equipment which can check your body composition through electrical pulses. The body fat check will tell you what percentage of your total weight is in fat, and what is lean mass. This is a more accurate measure of whether you are overweight because, for example, if you are muscular, the BMI may calculate that you are overweight, where you may be a perfectly healthy weight. This is because muscle is denser than fat, and therefore weighs more, and therefore, without a picture of the composition of your weight, there is the risk that the BMI will be incorrect. Also, if you are seeking to lose weight, and you are on a weight loss program, the bathroom scales will not tell you if you are losing fat or muscle, or whether you are gaining muscle. If your gain muscle and lose fat, you could actually put on weight, but be in a healthier condition and state of fitness. With the assistance of a body fat percentage test, you can see exactly where your losses or gains come from.
In deciding your ideal weight, the BMI is a good place to start for most people. But remember that it is not the be-all and end-all, and that it is better to get an analysis done that is personal and accurate for you.
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
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 Body Metabolism 18 May 2009 |
