Body Weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Americans seem obsessed with this number \u2013 and it\u2019s not just the media, medical professionals care a lot too, some to the point of discrimination. Body weight measurements are important in the medical community \u2013 they can be used to appropriately dose medication and assess overall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While everyone talks about body weight, what they DON\u2019T talk about is what an ideal weight for YOU might be. And that\u2019s a problem because bodies are unique and an ideal weight for one person (or an ideal weight listed in a manual) may not be ideal for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After much research, turns out that body weight (the number on a scale) actually doesn\u2019t provide much insight<\/a> into overall health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Body composition provides much more insight into overall health but it\u2019s harder to assess.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I get into why, if you\u2019re looking for a very quick weight-based ideal check out this Omni Calculator on Ideal Weight<\/a> that will give you a snapshot of your ideal weight based off several different calculations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Body weight is actually comprised of several key parts the weight of which can fluctuate day-to-day and person-to-person (even those of the same height\/weight):<\/p>\n\n\n\n The TLDR on this is that the weight distribution (where on your body you carry weight, especially around your waist) and the total percentage of body fat actually DO matter in terms of their impacts on overall health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out this overview regarding waist circumference and body fat from Harvard Medical School<\/a> and this study Percent body fat is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk factors than body mass index<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And this one from Nature Reviews Endocrinology<\/a> that supports moving away from BMI and adopting waist circumference as the preferred health metric to track obesity and its impact on health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some general guidelines check out Harvard\u2019s School of Public Health, Healthy Weight<\/a> article and the CDC\u2019s Healthy Weight<\/a> article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that said and the knowledge that bodies are unique we can go through a process of figuring out YOUR ideal weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will want at a minimum a soft measuring tape<\/a> for these measurements. If you don\u2019t have one, you can take a long string and then lay it down on top of a rigid ruler to get the measurement but it would be a lot easier to just have a soft measuring tape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also want something to record these measurements. I find a small notebook most helpful but there are apps you can use as well (Apple Health) to record them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, you\u2019ll also want to measure your height without shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Abdominal obesity or how much extra fat is around the midsection has been linked to significantly higher rates of diabetes and heart disease<\/a>. It also can be a sign of increased visceral fat<\/a> also known as \u201chidden fat\u201d which is a type of fat that wraps around your organs and makes certain proteins that can increase inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A waist circumference measurement is probably one of the most important measurements to \u201cnormalize\u201d in order to reduce overall disease risk. It will not, however, tell you how much you should weigh to get there. Because of this, waist circumference can be used alongside the scale to clue you into how fat may be distributed on your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standing up and ideally against bare skin, take your soft measuring tape and wrap it snugly around your waist over top of the widest part of your abdomen, usually found across your belly button. Breathe normally and record the measurement when your abdomen is most at rest. Record the measurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on how to get this measurement, see Verywell Fit\u2019s post on How to Measure Your Waist Circumference for Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Diabetes Federation<\/a> guidelines for obesity by waist circumference are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women: > 80 cm (31.5 inches) = obese, higher risk of disease<\/p>\n\n\n\n Men: > 90 cm (35.5 inches) = obese, higher risk of disease<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Diabetes Federation also includes specific waist circumference guidelines for people of different ethnicities namely: Europeans, South Asians, Chinese and Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is some disagreement regarding these guidelines, however, and Harvard School of Public Health\u2019s article Waist Size Matters<\/a> provides a good summary of alternative guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re far off your ideal, losing fat around the midsection, it usually requires a multi-prong approach (diet, exercise, sleep, stress management) and professional assistance (Doctor, Nutritionist, Health Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way of abdominal obesity is to look at your waist-to-hip ratio. This looks at your waist circumference relative to your hip circumference and may provide additional insight, especially if you have a larger bone frame or are more muscular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standing up straight and ideally against bare skin, take the soft measuring tape and wrap it snugly across the widest part of your hips, across your buttocks. Record the measurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on how to do this, see Verywell Fit\u2019s post on How to Calculate a Waist-to-Hip Ratio<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take your waist circumference measurement from step 1 and divide it by your hip circumference measurement. This will give you your waist-to-hip ratio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the World Health Organization (WHO),<\/a> you want to look for the following ratios:<\/p>\n\n\n\nBody Weight vs. Body Composition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Find Your Ideal Weight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1 \u2013 Measure Your Waist Circumference<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Your Ideal Waist Circumference<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step 2 \u2013 Measure Your Hip Circumference<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Your Ideal Waist-Hip Ratio<\/h4>\n\n\n\n