YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT:

The easiest way to calculate your ideal weight is with the body mass index.

English: Simplified graph of body mass index Underweight Normal weight Overweight Obese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bear in mind that this method only measures total body mass. If you exercise a lot and increase your proportion of muscle to body fat you will appear to be heavier because muscle weights more than fat.

Your body mass index is calculated by dividing your weight (kg) by your height (metres squared)

For example, if you weight 60kg and are 1.6m tall, then we get the following result:

a) 1.6 x 1.6 = 2.6

b) 60 divided by 2.6 = 23.1

To convert from imperial measurements multiply your weight in pounds by 0.45 to get kilograms and your height in feet by 0.3 to get metres.

If your body mass index is under 20 then you are underweight.

20-25 means you are the correct weight.

25-30 means you are over weight.

over 30 means you are obese or fat.

You may also take into account your waist to hip ratio because carrying weight around the stomach area rather than at the hips increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Being the correct weight for your height is even more important if you have a family history of Obesity  (over weight).

Developing good eating habits is the key to maintaining a healthy weight along with adequate daily exercise. Extra weight puts increased pressure on your joints.

If you are under weight it shouldn’t be difficult increasing your weight to the correct level. Always check with your doctor before starting a dieting program to ensure that you do not have any medical reason for your over or under  weight.