What is your ideal weight?

How to calculate the ideal weight?

An adult’s corpulence can be assessed in three ways: by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference or the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference. In this article, we are mainly interested in the concept of weight.

Knowing your ideal weight: calculating the body mass index (BMI)

BMI corresponds to the individual’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters, which gives a result expressed in kg/m². In adults, the WHO (World Health Organization) defines overweight and obesity as follows:

• BMI equal to or greater than 25 : overweight;
• BMI equal to or greater than 30 : obesity ;
• BMI equal to or greater than 40 : severe obesity. In France, Health Insurance distinguishes between moderate obesity (between 30 and 35), severe obesity (between 35 and 40) and massive obesity above a BMI of 40.

For children, age must be taken into account. Pregnant women obviously escape these calculation criteria.

To find out how to track your weight during pregnancy, read our article on pregnant women’s weight.

Calculating BMI alone may not be enough to determine whether a person is taking health risks. For this reason, waist circumference is often measured, which accounts for abdominal obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and death. According to theAmerican Heart Associationobesity corresponds to a waist circumference greater than 88 cm in women and 102 cm in men (1). In France, Health Insurance announces that a waist circumference is too high if it exceeds the thresholds of 80 cm for women and 94 cm for men.

Another measurement close to that of waist circumference is the ratio of waist to hip circumference. According to the WHO, obesity begins when the waist-to-hip ratio is greater than 0.85 for a woman and 0.90 for a man.

Towards a new definition of obesity?

Until now, a person was considered obese when their body mass index (BMI) exceeded 30. But this definition could change following an article published on January 14, 2025 in the journal The Lancet where 58 researchers challenge the way obesity is defined and diagnosed (2). This group of scientists proposes to take into account adiposity, namely excess body fat, rather than relying solely on BMI which is calculated based on the weight and height of the individual.

Example: what is the ideal weight for a 1m60 woman?

A person is generally considered to be of normal weight if their BMI is between 18.5 and 25. For an adult measuring 1.60 m, this gives a weight range of between 47.3 and 64 kg. A BMI below 18.5 indicates underweight.

The average weight of French people in 2020

A study carried out in 2020 shows that almost half of French people are overweight or obese in 2020. The average BMI of the French was 25.5 in 2020, which corresponds to a situation of overweight.

What weight for my height and age?

What BMI for what age?

Monitoring children’s growth (measurements of weight and height) makes it possible to check the adequacy of nutritional intake. The doctor and parents can monitor the evolution of the young person’s body size, to ensure that their growth curve falls within the thresholds defined in relation to their age and sex.

Normal weight curves for young people

In France, health records show growth curves, one for girls and another for boys, in order to verify that a child is growing normally. These growth curves were updated in 2018, thanks to the analysis of 5 million measurements of weight, height or head circumference, from 261,000 young people aged 0 to 18.

The limits of the notion of ideal weight

BMI remains an imperfect measurement on an individual scale because weight alone does not reflect a person’s degree of adiposity. For example, a bodybuilder can have the BMI of an obese person, without being the least bit fat, simply because of his muscle mass.

The ideal weight is a utopia

In addition, beyond the ideal weight, it is important to know your ideal weight.

The concept of fitness weight or balance weight

For Dr Jean-Jacques Colin, nutritionist and specialist in overweight and eating disorders, “the ideal weight is a utopia. Because what is important is not an ideal weight calculated by mathematical formulas or indicated by statistical data, but the balance weight, the “set point”, which is the weight that the person would be if they did not have an eating disorder, that is to say if they nourished by simply respecting his needs. The problem is that many people focus on this ideal weight and fight to obtain it.”

Read: Why diets fail

Jean-Jacques Colin is the author of Large CBT book for eating in peacea cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) workbook intended for those who feel uncomfortable in their body due to being overweight and are unable to eat less despite their efforts.

Read also: Belly Fat – The Solution

Read an EXTRACT>>