What is a Healthy Weight?

Everyone has a number in his or her head about what a healthy weight is for them. Fortunately a healthy weight is not just a number, but a range. Being within a healthy weight range reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, sleep disorders, diabetes and many cancers.

One way to measure whether you are within a healthy weight range is to determine your BMI. Take a look at the chart below to determine if you fall in a healthy weight range for your height.

BMI is merely one of many tools you can use to determine if you’re at a healthy weight. BMI can offer a snap shot of health, but can miss the mark. Since BMI is based on height and weight, a professional football player who is 6 feet tall and weighs 230 pounds has a BMI of 31. Now imagine a football fan who is 6 feet tall and weighs 230 pounds, he too has a BMI of 31 but cannot claim to have the 4% body fat that the athlete has. Although a BMI of 31 places both of these men in the obese category, only one is at risk of developing the risk factors associated with obesity. Hint: it’s not the athlete.

If you are outside the healthy weight range for your height, it is important to work toward a healthy weight, whether you need to lose or gain. Maintaining a healthy body weight is important to maintaining your health. As people gain weight, their risks for high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and heart disease all increase.