What is a healthy body mass index (BMI) or body fat percentage for me?

Citizens of developed countries enjoy better jobs, higher pay, and luxuries not available to previous generations. Unfortunately, unlike our predecessors, we do less manual labor and live more sedentary lifestyles. "Obesity is an epidemic, rising at troubling proportions," said John S. Evans, a senior lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health. Two billion people worldwide will be overweight by 2015, and more than 700 million will be obese.

A recent study shows that morbidly obese adults are sedentary for more than 99 percent of the day. A study of 10 men and women found that participants spent an average of 23 hours and 52 minutes sleeping, lying down or sitting each day. More exercise is one way to lose weight; however, you can also lose weight by eating less than your body requires. In order to do this, you will need to know the body weight and body fat percentage needed to maintain good health.

Determining your ideal body mass index (BMI) may not be the same for everyone. Athletic people with a lot of muscle mass may appear to be obese using standard BMI calculators. These individuals may have to calculate body fat percentage based on body measurements. Below are several methods to determine your healthy weight. These calculators are general guidelines. Each person will be different, and your situation will be unique.

What is a healthy body mass index (BMI) for you?

For adults, a healthy weight is defined as the appropriate weight in relation to height. This ratio of weight to height is known as the BMI. People who are overweight might have too much body weight for their height. People who are obese almost always have a large amount of body fat in relation to their height. There are exceptions, of course. Big athletes with lots of muscle might have a BMI over 30.0 but would not be considered obese from the perspective of health risk.
Use a BMI calculator for adults and determine your BMI by entering your height and weight. I recommend using an electronic scale to determine your weight. As indicated above, BMI is only one consideration. If you are an athletic person with a large amount of muscle, then you might have a high BMI but will not be considered obese.

Waste measurements as indicator for obesity.

Waste measurements can be used to calculate if you are overweight. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs. This is true even if your BMI falls within the normal range. To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hip bone. Be sure that the tape is snug, but does not compress your skin, and is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale, and measure your waist. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because of where their fat lies.

Calculating body fat percentage based on body measurements.

Your body fat percentage can be calculated based on height, neck circumference, and waste circumference for men and height, neck circumference, waste circumference and hip circumference for women. Measurements are taken as follows: Height (taken without shoes), Neck (taken below the larynx sloping slightly downward at the front), Waist (for men at navel height, for women at the smallest point), and Hips (women only - at the largest point). You can use this Body Fat Calculator to determine your body fat percentage. How much body fat percentage is healthy? This is based on your age and sex. In the Navy, if your body fat percentage exceeds the following, then you are considered to be overweight:

Male - Age 17 to 39 - 22 percent
Male - Age 40 + - 23 percent

Female - Age 17 to 39 - 33 percent
Female - Age 40 + - 34 percent

What about a healthy body weight for children and teens?

Our children are affected by obesity too. Studies have shown that there are increasing numbers of obese children, and that obesity in children is associated with serious medical problems, such as sleep apnea, diabetes, bone and joint problems, and heart disease.

For children and teens, overweight is defined differently than it is for adults. Because children are still growing, and boys and girls develop at different rates, BMIs for children 2 to 20 years old are determined by comparing their weight and height against growth charts that take their age and gender into account.

A child's "BMI-for-age" shows how his or her BMI compares with other boys or girls of the same age. A child or teen who is between the 85th and 95th percentile on the growth chart is considered at risk of overweight. A child or teen who is at the 95th percentile or above is considered overweight. Consult your pediatrician to determine a healthy weight for your child.

Summary

I recommend that you use a combination of the above three methods to determine your ideal body weight to be healthy. If you exceed the upper limits for any one calculator, then consider making life style changes to lose weight, increase exercise, and eating healthier. I also recommend consulting a health professional before starting new exercise regimens or weight loss programs.

Understanding your healthy BMI and body fat percentage is the first step in being healthier and losing weight. In the next article, I will discuss basic metabolic rate (BMR) and how BMR determines if you maintain, lose, or gain weight.

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References

Body Fat Calculator. About.com. Accessed April 12, 2009.

Body Mass Index Calculator and Waist Measurement. Medical College of Wisconsin. Accessed April 12, 2009.

Desk jobs making more people obese, study finds. Reuters. Accessed April 12, 2009.

Learn about Body Mass Index (BMI). National Heart Lung and Blood Institutes. Accessed April 12, 2009.

Very obese adults almost completely sedentary. Reuters. Accessed April 12, 2009.