How To Understand Your Ideal Weight

Obesity is one of the number one causes of heart attack and can induce a variety of other health problems including diabetes and poor cholesterol, a killer in and of itself. Most people think an obese person is a huge or grossly overweight person but that is not necessarily the truth. A large percentage of the obese population is active adults that are over weight without appearing huge or outlandishly fat. You can be considered obese if you are 20% over your ideal weight.

Frame From Wrist Size

The first step in determining one's ideal weight is to ascertain the body type. This is done by measuring the wrist. To figure out if a person's body frame is small medium, or large, you use the wrist measurement to ascertain if they are small, medium, or large boned. The bone size determines Frame. Here is what you do.

• Women ( ' = Feet / " = inches)
Under 5' 2" tall
Wrist measurement of under 5.5 inches = small boned
Wrist measurement of 5'.5" to 5.75 inches = medium boned
Wrist measurement of more than 5.75 inches = big boned or large frame

• For Women 5' 2" tall
Wrist measurement of under 6 inches = small boned
Wrist measurement of 6" to 6.25 inches = medium boned
Wrist measurement of more than 6.25 inches = big boned or large frame

• For Women more than 5' 5" tall
Wrist measurement of under 6.25" inches = small boned
Wrist measurement of 6.25" to 6.5 inches = medium boned
Wrist measurement of more than 6.5" = big boned or large


• Men who are more than 5' 5" tall
Wrist measurement of 5.5" to 6.5 inches = small boned
Wrist measurement of 6.5" to 7.5 inches = medium boned
Wrist measurement of more than 7.5 inches = big boned or large

Equation minus or plus Frame Size
Now that we know what type of frame we have, we can determine our ideal weight. This is an approximation that can vary from person to person but it is widely accepted as correct. For women, the first 5 feet of height should equal 100 pounds, then for each addition inch over five feet, tack on five more pounds, hence, a five foot, two inch woman with medium frame size should weigh 110 pounds, ideally.

Working The Numbers

For men, the first 5 feet should equal to 106 pounds and then 6 pounds per additional inch. A 6-foot tall, medium framed man should weigh 172 lbs ideally. The exception for both men and women is that for small or large frames, (determined by wrist size) you should subtract 10% of that equation sum for small frames and add 10% for large frames. The percentage of excess body weight is then found using this formula. A 6" tall, medium framed man weighing 200 with an ideal weight of 172 lbs would take 200, subtract 172 to get 28. Then, 28/172 x 100 = 16.27% over ideal weight. This person is close to obese, but is not at the 20% mark yet.

Safety First: Consult Your Physician or Nutritionist

The difference between actual weight and ideal weight is divided by ideal weight and multiplied by 100 (always) which, equals the percentage over ideal weight. Remember to add or subtract for small or large bone size. If you are more than 20% over your ideal weight, discuss your options with your family physician. Always see your doctor before starting any diet and exercise program. If you or anyone in your family is grossly overweight, you should consider obtaining a CPR Certification before beginning any serious diet or exercise program as well.

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