How much should I weigh for my height and age?

By: Silvia

This is a question I hear quite often. Do I weigh too much? How much should I weigh for my height and age?  Below you can easily find out with our handy calculator below!

Of course you could just look at yourself in the mirror and make your own judgement, but for health reasons it may be important to know what’s normal and what’s not for your age.

Then, if you find out that you are too heavy for your height and age, you can do something about it.

The Body Mass Index Chart

The Body Mass Index or BMI is generally used to measure human body fat based on an individual’s weight and height. Body mass index is defined as the individual’s body weight divided by the square of his or her height.

The below graph shows what the normal measurements would be (both in pounds and kilograms). The aim of course is to end up in the normal range!

Measure your BMI

Just enter your age, sex and height and you will automatically discover in which range you are.

unit	US Metric
age
sex	male female

height	ft	in
weight		lb

by calculator.net

  

Is this information reliable?

In most cases, your BMI score will give you an easy and quick indicator of your “fatness” or “thinness”. However, the results from the BMI test are not always accurate and should not be relied upon as an authority for medical diagnosis.

Some people tend to have a lot of muscles (which tend to weigh heavier) and for those people a completely wrong BMI range could result.

Your BMI score will, however, give you a good indicator and if you have any doubts or concerns, see your physician.

How important is a healthy weight?

A healthy body weight is not just about looking good, it is actually very important for your overall wellbeing.

Being overweight puts you at risk of many chronic and potentially lethal diseases, like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and gall bladder disease to name but a few.

Being underweight is just as unhealthy and can lead to a number of health complications, some of them life-threatening. Have a look at some of the comments below, where myself and others give suggestions on how to help with this.

So do the test and find out how much you should weigh. And if you’re overweight or underweight, I hope that you will take the time to do something about it to optimise your health. It is well worth it!

I now believe that sugars are the main culprit for excess weight so I wrote about how to quit sugar. Sarah Wilson has an excellent 8 week programme to help you quit the habit of eating sugar.

Want more convincing that sugar and carbohydrates are the main culprits to your weight gain then read how to lose weight through cutting carbohydrates.

For more articles on this topic and to learn how I have managed to keep a steady and very healthy weight throughout my life, you can check out my article on how to lose weight with healthy eating and drinking habits or read my husband’s 26 rules for losing weight without diets.

If you are happy with your extra weight or cannot get the pounds off then I have a very good article from Georgette on how to dress when you have curves.

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical expert and this weight calculator is for adults and for information purposes only. Weight calculator may not represent your real life weight situation and you should consult a medical professional for expert advise and before you start a diet or exercising regimen.