Body Mass Index – A Useful Guide for Optimal Health and Wellness
As a good rule of thumb for optimal health and wellness, a man should not have more than one half inch of skin that he can pinch near his umbilicus (belly button) and a woman should not have more than one inch. Almost any fat on the body over this minimum is a health risk. The truth is that most people who think they are at the right weight still have far too much fat on their body.
A commonly accepted formula for determining ideal body weight is as follows:
Women: approximately 95 five pounds for the first five feet of height and four pounds for every inch thereafter.
Therefore:
5′ 4″ = 95 + 16 = 111 pounds (8 Stones)
5′ 6″ = 95 + 24 = 119 pounds (8.5 Stones)
Men: approximately 105 pounds for the first five feet of height and then five pounds for every inch thereafter.
Therefore:
5′ 10″ = 105 + 50 = 155 pounds (11 Stones)
5′ 12″ = 105 + 60 = 165 pounds (11.75 Stones)
These formulas are only rough guides, since we all have different body types and bone structure.
A far more useful guide that is often used in medical investigations is BMI or “Body Mass Index”.
BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Alternatively, in imperial measurement, weight in pounds x 703 divided by height in inches squared.
Ideally, your BMI should be below 23.
Here is a very useful BMI calculator that may help you:
The traditional view is that men who have a waist circumference over 40 inches and women with one over 35 inches are significantly overweight with a high risk of health problems and heart attacks. Evidence suggests that abdominal fat measurement is a much better predictor of risk than overall weight or size. This is because fat deposits around your waist are a greater health risk than extra fat in other places, such as hips and thighs.
What if you feel you are too thin? If you have too much fat on your body but feel you are too thin, then you should exercise to build muscle to gain weight. The important point here is, never try to force yourself to overeat to gain weight. Eat only as much food as your hunger drive demands and no more. If you exercise, your appetite will increase in response. You should not try to put on weight merely by eating, because you will only add more fat to your frame, not muscle. Additional fat, regardless of whether you like the way you look when you are fatter or not, will shorten your lifespan.
Once you start eating healthfully, you may find you are getting more thinner than you expected. Most sensible people lose weight until they reach their ideal weight and then they stop losing weight. Ideal weight is ultimately a matter of personal choice, but remember it is harder to lose muscle than fat so once the fat is off your body your weight will stabilize. Stabilization at a thin muscular weight occurs because your body gives you strong signals to eat, signals that can be called “true hunger”.
True hunger maintains your muscle reserve, not your fat.
