If your waist measurement is more than half of your height, you may be at increased risk of obesity-related illness such as cardiovascular problems and early death. A small study of adult men and women found that waist-to-height ratio might be a better indicator of obesity than BMI.
More research is needed to compare larger numbers of people including more diversity in age and ethnicity. Since the real concern about body weight is actually about unhealthy levels of body fat, it might be best to try calculating your body fat percentage. There are a variety of ways to do this, but the best way is to work with a doctor. You can use at-home tools to try to determine your body fat percentage, but doctors have more accurate methods.
Keep in mind that fat under the skin referred to as baby fat or a general softness to the body is not as worrisome. The more troublesome body fat is stored around your organs. It may cause increased pressure, leading to inflammation in the body. For this reason, waist measurements and body shape may be the simplest and most helpful elements to track. One theory is that all of the vital organs in your core are affected by the presence of too much belly fat. Genetics influences where and how people store body fat.
In general, men are more likely to develop body fat around the waist and have higher waist measurements. But as women age and especially after menopause , hormones cause them to start adding more weight around their waist. For this reason, it may be best to pay attention to how your clothing fits, rather than checking the scale, says Parrella.
Those factors include not only your body fat percentage and distribution, but also your age and sex. Also, things like pregnancy can make your bones and muscles heavier and denser to accommodate for the extra weight. The result lets you know how much fat is stored in your lower body, such as your waist, hips, and bum. When measuring your waist, you want to breathe normally and measure the area slightly above your belly button.
Along with measuring being inaccurate, this method can be skewed for people with muscular hips and shorter folks under 5 feet tall. To calculate your WtHR, take your waist measurement in inches and divide by your height in inches you can also do this in centimeters. To fall in the healthy range, your WtHR should be about 0.
Seeing a health professional will provide more accurate results usually within 3. There are also various special equipment and techniques to calculate body fat percentage, but they may wind up costing you an arm and a leg. On the flip side, body fat percentage may outweigh BMI when it comes to receiving accurate info about your weight.
The following chart shows weight ranges compared to height according to NIH :. As we age, our body changes. Muscle mass also goes down as you age. Men and women differ even more. Genetically, men have higher levels of the hormone testosterone, which provides more muscle mass and less fat mass.
For most adults, the BMI is a good way to get an idea of healthy weight ranges. There are other things to think about when judging how much someone should weigh. This is because the normal amount of body fat changes with age in children and teens, and is different between boys and girls.
The percentiles are then used to determine the different weight groups:. An athletic person may get an inaccurate BMI if their body is made of mostly muscle because it will cause them to weigh more. So a body fat measurement may be more effective. To get your body fat percentage, you may visit your doctor or personal trainer, or use an online calculator.
There are also special tools to help determine your body fat percentage. Some people may use a tool called calipers to pinch fat from certain areas of the body and measure the amount of fat. Certain sensors and scales can send a current through the body to get a reading.
Water displacement, where you submerge your body in a tank of water, is the most accurate way to get your body fat percentage.
Once you know your body fat percentage, you can compare with this chart, which shows the healthy ranges by sex and age:. With all the measurements needed to calculate your body fat percentage, it may be difficult to get an accurate number at home.
You may have noticed that the ideal body weight percentages differ for males and females. Fat is also distributed differently on the body, as females tend to store more in the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
For males, 14 to 17 percent is generally the healthy range. Some believe it has to do with a mix of hormones, hormone receptors, and different enzyme concentrations. Instead, maintaining healthy habits is the key to staying at a healthy weight. There are many different ways to calculate your ideal weight.
Most of them have some margin of error, especially when done at home. If you have concerns about your weight, consider visiting your doctor for a physical exam. Your doctor can also help you create a plan to lose or gain weight. Eating well and moving your body more are simple ways to start your journey toward a healthier body today. Read this article in Spanish. Some think weighing yourself every day is a powerful weight loss tool, while others think it can lead to major health issues. Here's what the science….
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