Healthy weight: More than a number

A healthy weight goal isn't about achieving society's definition of "fit" or hitting a number on a scale. It's much more complex. Your healthy weight should fall into a range that helps limit your risk for disease while allowing you to feel energetic, comfortable and confident –not deprived or pressured.

Here are some guidelines and tools to get you moving in the right direction.

Close your eyes and picture what a healthy person’s everyday life looks like:

What do they eat?

How many meals do they eat?

What do they do for activity and stress relief?

What size clothes do they wear?

How is their energy level?

What do their sleeping patterns look like?

Answering these questions will help you begin working toward your own vision of a healthy life at a healthy weight.

BMI

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful tool in comparing your weight to height. Generally, the higher your body fat, the higher your BMI. But BMI should only be used as a guideline because it does have limitations.

BMI doesn’t take into account muscle mass, so intense weight training may cause a BMI that inaccurately falls into an obese category. Also, body fat is not being measured directly but calculated based on weight and height – which leaves some room for error.

Calculating your BMI

If you are an adult and your height is greater than 6'4" or less than 5' divide your weight (in pounds) by your height (in inches) squared, then multiply by a conversion factor of 703.

Example: Weight = 105 lbs. Height = 4'10" or 58"

Calculation: (58)2 = 3364 [105 + 3364] x 703 = 21.9 BMI = 22

Generally, a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 is considered within the normal range.

Waist circumference

The location of your body fat can often be a greater predictor of disease than BMI, and your waist circumference may be a more helpful test.

If most of your excess weight is found around the waist (apple shape), as opposed to your hips (pear shape), your risk for certain conditions may be greater.

A waist circumference of more than 35 inches for women and more than 40 inches for men may be associated with increased risk.

Body fat composition

Measuring body fat directly is very popular. Gyms often use skin fold calipers or electronic scales that estimate body fat composition, although these tests are frequently inaccurate. Some places may offer analysis of body fat via ultrasound, bioelectrical impedance or air displacement plethysmography.

Generally, a healthy body fat is within 8-22% for men and 21-35% for women who are 20-60 years old.

Healthy body fat ranges adjust slightly with age: As the body ages, muscle structure naturally atrophies and it’s normal to have slight increases in body fat composition.

Nutrition

Follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Keep in mind that the number of servings you should eat each day depends upon your specific caloric needs, which are determined by:

• Age

• Gender

• Activity level

• Whether your goal is to lose, maintain or gain weight

Exercise

Healthy adults should shoot for a consistent activity routine of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week or 10,000 steps per days.

You do not need to do all of your exercise at once to be physically active. In fact, experts recommend spreading out physical activity throughout the week. Talk with your doctor before significantly increasing your activity level. Ask about the amounts and types of activities that may be best for you.

And remember: Sometimes a goal weight may shift depending on how active you can be and how many dietary changes you are willing to make. Balance is the key to long-term success!

Focus on "the big picture"

For the most accurate snapshot of your risk for weight-related disease and your ideal healthy weight range, it’s important to consider the results of your BMI, waist circumference and body fat screenings together.

Using these tools, along with practicing good nutrition and exercise, can help you limit your risk factors – even if any one of your screenings may not fall in the “healthy” range.