What is ideal body weight?

What your ideal body weight tells you

Knowing your healthy range gives you a realistic target instead of chasing a number from your college days.

For Indian adults:

• The healthy range is a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 (WHO Asia-Pacific, 2000).
• For any height, that covers a span of several kilos.

Where you sit inside that range depends on:

• your build and muscle
• your age
• your health

Talk it through with your doctor. Even losing 3 to 5 per cent of your starting weight can lower triglycerides and blood sugar, long before you reach any 'ideal'.

Reaching a healthy weight

A heart-healthy way of eating and regular physical activity are the two big levers. In practice that means a balanced thali with:

• plenty of sabzi
• a sensible portion of roti or rice
• a good serving of dal or another protein
• fewer fried and sugary extras

Aim for slow, steady loss rather than a crash diet, sleep well, and keep an eye on your waist size too, since it tells you something your weight can't.

Is ideal body weight on a report?

It isn't a lab value, though some clinics print a figure on check-up summaries.

Ranges you may see:

• The healthy weight calculator on this site uses a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9, the WHO Asia-Pacific range for Indians.
• The NHLBI, writing for Americans, suggests a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 and a waist under 35 inches for women who aren't pregnant.
• For Indians, the Indian consensus guidelines (2009) treat a waist of 80 cm or more in women and 90 cm or more in men as a risk sign.