How is the need to lose weight measured? In the medical community, there are guidelines that are used to determine whether a person is of average weight, underweight or overweight. The ideal weight for each height is given in a range of numbers. For example, if you are a female who is 5´2″, you would find your height, look under the column for women, and see an ideal weight range between 101 and 128 pounds. That is a weight difference of 27 pounds, which is a huge deal for body weight! However, what this means is not that it is okay for all women who are 5´2″ to fall just anywhere in this weight range.
We all have different sized body frames, regardless of height. For example, one woman who is 5´2″ may have larger bones than another woman who is also 5´2″. The woman who has larger bones would be at a healthy weight if she weighs around 128 pounds. The woman of the same height with smaller bones would be almost overweight at 128 pounds, but just right around 101 pounds. The weight of a woman of the same height with average sized bones needs to fall in the middle of the range – around 113 pounds or so.
Another method used in determining whether you are the appropriate weight is to use your Body Mass Index, also known as your BMI. This is the method is considered by experts to give you and your doctor a better understanding of how much you really should weigh, based on the BMI number. This number is calculated using your height and current weight. If the result is less than 18.5, you are underweight. If the number is 25 or higher, you are overweight. If the number goes above 30, you are obese, or morbidly obese. There are many free calculators online that you can use to calculate your BMI.
If your BMI is over 30, it is a safe bet that weight loss is needed. However, just because your number is between 18.6 and 24.9, which is considered average weight, your weight may still not be right for you, regardless of what a chart or calculator says. The best measure of whether weight loss is needed or not is how you feel physically, and how you feel about yourself when you look at your body in a mirror. If you feel fine, and you are happy with what you see in the mirror, you need not lose weight, but you need to watch your weight because pounds can sneak up on you if you are not paying attention. Talk to your doctor about your weight. Allow him to help you determine whether weight loss is needed and ask about a meal plan that will help you to maintain, lose, or gain weight as needed.
