Find Your Ideal Body Weight

Your ideal body weight will depend on several factors such as your sex, height, and your overall body type (small, medium or large frame). Women often feel they are too heavy and so they diet unnecessarily. The many benefits you will see from maintaining your body at an ideal weight include more energy, weight control, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Note: The material provided on this page is for information purposes only. It is not intended to replace your own physician's advice concerning your ideal body weight.

The Body Mass Index

A number called the body mass index (BMI) is often used to determine whether a person is in the correct weight range. Just enter your weight and height in the following table and click 'Calculate BMI' to find your own BMI result.

BMI by itself tells you nothing about your ideal body weight in terms of body composition or fat content. Muscle is proportionately heavier than fat, so some very muscular people could be classed as overweight using this BMI method.

There are many factors to take into account when looking at a person's ideal weight. These include things like height, age, and muscular make up as mentioned above. People are also classified by their type of body frame:

Small
Medium
Large

A simple way to determine your body frame size is to measure the distance around your wrist. Use the table below to determine your body frame type.

Your Height Is...	Less than 5' 2"	Less than 5' 5"	More than 5' 5"
	- Wrist Size -	- Wrist Size -	- Wrist Size -
Small Frame	less than 5-1/2 ''	less than 6 ''	less than 6-1/4 ''
Medium Frame	5-1/2'' to 5-3/4''	6'' to 6-1/4''	6-1/4'' to 6-1/2''
Large Frame	more than 5-3/4''	more than 6-1/4''	more than 6-1/2''

Use this chart and the chart below to give yourself an idea of which category you are in. If you have any concerns about your weight it's a good idea to visit a qualified professional and get their advice on the ideal body weight for you.

Standard Weight Table (in lbs.) For Women

Height	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame
4' 10"	102-111 lbs	109-121 lbs	118-131 lbs
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