The Height-Weight Chart: Your guide to check any abnormality

The Height-Weight chart is a very basic tool to check if you fall under normal ranges or not. Having a balanced height to weight ratio indicates good health. You can either look up the chart, find the information yourself or you can just use interactive MBI calculator.

This is also known as body mass index and suggests how much weight one should have for a particular height. A balanced height to weight ratio is a basic measurement and one also need to take into account the muscle, fat and amount of bones in the body. The amount of fat is a critical measurement as it indicates how much fat your body contains. However, the assessment may not be accurate but at least gives a fair idea of fat composition.

The chart is only applicable to adults (both men and women) and does not apply to people younger than 18. You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator instead for children and people younger than 18. As a general rule, the chart is applicable for most adults except those having very muscular build. This is because although you have very less fat, a lot of muscles may put you in the overweight category. The circumference of your waist can also provide information about your health other than the BMI.

Explaining chart categories

Underweight

If you belong in this category, your weight is lesser than the normal value according to your height. Many reasons can contribute to this including past illnesses, skipping breakfasts or meals, digestive problems, digestion etc. Being underweight can also lead to a weak immune system, tiredness, and fragile bones. Your physician can suggest you which diet to take and details but as a general rule starchy-carbohydrates based diet is recommended along with protein-rich non-dairy foods like meat, fish, eggs, beans etc.

Healthy Weight

Although this is the range that indicates a healthy balance between height and weight, if you fall into this category, you should try to maintain it and keep a healthy diet. Exercising is also as important as to eat a balanced and healthy diet. Adults should at least have around 2.5 hours of active exercise time per week.

Overweight, obese and very obese

If you fall in any of these categories, your weight is higher than it should be according to your height. Access of weight can put you at risk for different kind of heart and other illnesses including stroke and diabetes. Being slightly overweight can usually be dealt with fairly easily and in a shorter amount of time but obesity requires much more effort and time.

Overcoming obesity

Being overweight is the biggest concern today and is directly linked to many illnesses. It is caused because of an excessive amount of body fat accumulated over time. The risks include type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, liver & kidney diseases and also pregnancy related complications. Other than these long-term risks, obesity also has short-term disadvantages. It was once considered a problem of high-income people but now the trend is shifting and it’s on a rise in low/middle-class people too.

Successfully losing weight and fighting obesity requires some serious commitment and lifestyle changes. Some people even may require medicines to lose weight in addition to diet and lifestyle changes. The most important goal is to set realistic and measurable goals.

For adults, it’s recommended to set a goal of losing 5-10% of the current weight in 6 months as the best way to lose weight is to do it slowly. For overweight children, it’s good to maintain the current weight while regularly exercising and keeping a low-fat diet.