Did you know that Quetelet Index, more popularly knows as Body Mass Index was devised by Adolphe Quetelet somewhere between 1830 and 1850? BMI uses height and weight of a person to find the ideal body weight for a person. This method till date is considered as one of the most accurate method to find out the ideal body weight.
Today, the world population is suffering from so many health problems. Many of these problems are related to weight issues. An overweight, or obese person, has risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other heart related ailments.
An underweight person may have low immunity, reduced stamina, and a deficiency of nutrients in his body. So, weight control is very important. There are many ways to determine the ideal weight of a person. Among them are, waist to height ratio, and height to weight ratio.
In children, along with the height weight ratio, head circumference is also considered
Understanding the Height Weight Ratio
Here are two charts showing the average height and weight ratio for men and women.
| Men | |||
| Height (Feet) | Weight (Pounds) | ||
| Small Frame | Medium Frame | Large Frame | |
| 5’2” | 128-134 | 131-141 | 138-150 |
| 5’3″ | 130-136 | 133-143 | 140-153 |
| 5’4″ | 132-138 | 135-145 | 142-156 |
| 5’5″ | 134-140 | 137-148 | 144-160 |
| 5’6″ | 136-142 | 139-151 | 146-164 |
| 5’7″ | 138-145 | 142-154 | 149-168 |
| 5’8″ | 140-148 | 145-157 | 152-172 |
| 5’9″ | 142-151 | 148-160 | 155-176 |
| 5’10” | 144-154 | 151-163 | 158-180 |
| 5’11” | 146-157 | 154-166 | 161-184 |
| 6’0″ | 149-160 | 157-170 | 164-188 |
| 6’1″ | 152-164 | 160-174 | 168-192 |
| 6’2″ | 155-168 | 164-178 | 172-197 |
| 6’3″ | 158-172 | 167-182 | 176-202 |
| 6’4″ | 162-176 | 171-187 | 181-207 |
| Women | |||
| Height (Feet) | Weight (Pounds) | ||
| Small Frame | Medium Frame | Large Frame | |
| 4’10” | 102-111 | 109-121 | 118-131 |
| 4’11” | 103-113 | 111-123 | 120-134 |
| 5’0″ | 104-115 | 113-126 | 122-137 |
| 5’1″ | 106-118 | 115-129 | 125-140 |
| 5’2″ | 108-121 | 118-132 | 128-143 |
| 5’3″ | 111-124 | 121-135 | 131-147 |
| 5’4″ | 114-127 | 124-138 | 134-151 |
| 5’5″ | 117-130 | 127-141 | 137-155 |
| 5’6″ | 120-133 | 130-144 | 140-159 |
| 5’7″ | 123-136 | 133-147 | 143-163 |
| 5’8″ | 126-139 | 136-150 | 146-167 |
| 5’9″ | 129-142 | 139-153 | 149-170 |
| 5’10” | 132-145 | 142-156 | 152-173 |
| 5’11” | 135-148 | 145-159 | 155-176 |
| 6’0″ | 138-151 | 148-162 | 158-179 |
Above charts are according to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tables revised in 1983.
Note:
- Athletes have a higher body mass index, as their muscle weight is more than their fat weight.
- To evaluate the health of children, it is important to take the head circumference into consideration, along with the height weight ratio.
- In the elderly, BMI can be slightly more than 25.
Limitations of BMI & Height Weight Chart
BMI has many limitations. It doesn’t give an accurate difference between the fat and lean muscle mass. It is based on the average figures found on population studies. Hence, it might not be perfect in case of athletes and other people who have a muscular build. Height weight based charts have certain limitations too. They are also based on population studies. Given above tables are by an insurance company. However, it is not true in case of every individual. Because, sometimes a person may be slightly overweight and still in perfect health, because that person may not have too much of fat in the body. Also, as muscle mass is higher than fat, athletes might not be in ideal weight range according to the height weight charts.
Ways to Measure Body Fat
As mentioned above BMI and height weight charts are not accurate and now there are many better ways to find the body fat of an individual. The most accurate method considered to find out body fat is the hydrostatic weighing. In this method the individual is connected to a scale with the help of an underwater chair. Prior to the test the subject is asked to exhale air as much as they can, and then the subject is completely immersed for few seconds underwater and measurements are taken. This is done couple of times to find the most accurate result. Apart from the hydrostatic weighing there are many other ways to check your body fat. There is skin fold test, there is bioelectrical impedance and girth measurement.
Tips to Stay Healthy
If according to the above chart you fall in the medium frame or have a normal BMI then you need to continue to have a balanced diet and exercise around 20 minutes a day. Those who are underweight need to increase their calorie intake by eating energy dense healthy foods. Mostly underweight people have a good metabolism which prevents them from putting on weight. To gain weight with a fast metabolism you will need to increase your diet and also build some muscle mass with strength training. Following a healthy and energy dense diet with strength training can help those who are underweight to increase their weight, energy levels and immunity. While those who are overweight need to follow a healthy weight loss diet to reduce the body fat. For this you should include more dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables in your diet and decrease the consumption of fatty and sugary foods. Also, workout of 45 minutes everyday is advisable.
If you don’t fall in the normal range, then get yourself checked with other appropriate methods to figure out the amount of body fat. This will give a better perspective and help you to achieve or maintain your ideal weight.
