Healthy Weight Chart

healthy weight chart
There is neither an official healthy weight chart nor an official ideal weight chart. People have labeled various charts as such to serve their needs. In fact the ideal and healthy weight charts are the same thing.

The two sources of information that come closest to official healthy weight charts are the BMI charts used by the cdc and doctors, and the Metropolitan Life Tables created by an insurance company. So, I

guess if you are a democrat you will go to the BMI charts and if you are Republican you will use the Met Life Tables. Just kidding, but you do have to take all these charts with a grain of salt. (not too much salt)

If you know you are overweight, I suggest you start with the healthy weight chart based on the BMI (body mass index). As you lose weight and get healthier then go to the metlife tables where one takes into consideration their sex and frame size. All of these charts can be seen below.

BMI Ideal Weight Chart

BMI	Height (in)
BMI	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76
Wgt. (lbs)	4'10"	4'11"	5'0"	5'1"	5'2"	5'3"	5'4"	5'5"	5'6"	5'7"	5'8"	5'9"	5'10"	5'11"	6'0"	6'1'	6'2"	6'3'	6'4'
100	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13	13	12
105	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13
110	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	14	13
115	24	23	23	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14
120	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15
125	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15
130	27	26	25	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16
135	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16
140	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17
145	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18
150	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18
155	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19
160	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20	20
165	35	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20
170	36	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21
175	37	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22	21
180	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22
185	39	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23
190	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23
195	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24
200	42	40	39	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24
205	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26	25
210	44	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26
215	45	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26
220	46	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27
225	47	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	31	30	29	28	27
230	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28
235	49	48	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29
240	50	49	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29
245	51	50	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31	30
250	52	51	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30
255	53	52	50	48	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31
260	54	53	51	49	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	33	32
265	56	54	52	50	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32
270	57	55	53	51	49	48	46	45	44	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33
275	58	56	54	52	50	49

HEALTHY WEIGHT CHART KEY

BMI	Classification
< 18.5	underweight
18.5¨C24.9	normal weight
25.0¨C29.9	overweight
30.0¨C34.9	class I obesity
35.0¨C39.9	class II obesity
¡Ý 40.0	class III obesity

The most commonly used definitions, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 and published in 2000, provide the values listed in the table at right.

Some modifications to the WHO definitions have been made by particular bodies. The surgical literature breaks down "class III" obesity into further categories whose exact values are still disputed

Any BMI greater than or equal to 35 or 40 is severe obesity
A BMI of greater than or equal to 35 or 40 to 44.9 or 49.9 is morbid obesity
A BMI of greater than or equal to 45 or 50 is super obese

I have added calories to the chart above so that you can actually achieve a healthy weight for height

Using the healthy weight chart by mortality based on the relative risk of mortality for men as seen in this chart, and discussed by Paul Campos in his book

Healthy Weight Chart for Men by Mortality

HEALTHY WEIGHT CHART OBESITY MYTH

BMI	Height (in)
BMI	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76
Wgt. (lbs)	4'10"	4'11"	5'0"	5'1"	5'2"	5'3"	5'4"	5'5"	5'6"	5'7"	5'8"	5'9"	5'10"	5'11"	6'0"	6'1'	6'2"	6'3'	6'4'
100	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13	13	12
105	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13
110	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	14	13
115	24	23	23	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14
120	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15
125	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15
130	27	26	25	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16
135	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16
140	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17
145	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18
150	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18
155	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19
160	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20	20
165	35	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20
170	36	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21
175	37	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22	21
180	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22
185	39	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23
190	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23
195	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24
200	42	40	39	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24
205	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26	25
210	44	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26
215	45	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26
220	46	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27
225	47	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	31	30	29	28	27
230	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28
235	49	48	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29
240	50	49	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29
245	51	50	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	3	35	34	33	32	32	31	30
250	52	51	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30
255	53	52	50	48	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31
260	54	53	51	49	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	33	32
265	56	54	52	50	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32
270	57	55	53	51	49	48	46	45	44	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33
275	58	56	54	52	50	49

In a similar manner we get a chart for women that is based on the reading of The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos and the healthy weight chart by mortality

Healthy Weight Chart for Women by Mortality

HEALTHY WEIGHT CHART OBESITY MYTH

BMI	Height (in)
BMI	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76
Wgt. (lbs)	4'10"	4'11"	5'0"	5'1"	5'2"	5'3"	5'4"	5'5"	5'6"	5'7"	5'8"	5'9"	5'10"	5'11"	6'0"	6'1'	6'2"	6'3'	6'4'
100	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13	13	12
105	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13
110	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	14	13
115	24	23	23	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14
120	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15
125	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15
130	27	26	25	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16
135	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16
140	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17
145	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18
150	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18
155	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19
160	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20	20
165	35	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20
170	36	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21
175	37	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22	21
180	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22
185	39	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23
190	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23
195	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24
200	42	40	39	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24
205	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26	25
210	44	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26
215	45	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26
220	46	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27
225	47	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	31	30	29	28	27
230	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28
235	49	48	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29
240	50	49	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29
245	51	50	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	3	35	34	33	32	32	31	30
250	52	51	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30
255	53	52	50	48	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31
260	54	53	51	49	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	33	32
265	56	54	52	50	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32
270	57	55	53	51	49	48	46	45	44	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33
275	58	56	54	52	50	49

MetLife Ideal Weight Chart

Here is another weight chart that shows what the insurance thinks is healthy. They are betting their money on it so it must have some validity.

Ideal Weight Chart for Women

Height in Shoes	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame
6'	138 to 151 lb	148 to 162 lb	158 to 179 lb
5'11"	135 to 148 lb	145 to 159 lb	155 to 176 lb
5'10"	132 to 145 lb	142 to 156 lb	152 to 173 lb
5'9"	129 to 142 lb	139 to 153 lb	149 to 170 lb
5'8"	126 to 139 lb	136 to 150 lb	146 to 167 lb
5'7"	123 to 136 lb	133 to 147 lb	143 to 163 lb
5'6"	120 to 133 lb	130 to 144 lb	140 to 159 lb
5'5"	117 to 130 lb	127 to 141 lb	137 to 155 lb
5'4"	114 to 127 lb	124 to 138 lb	134 to 151 lb
5'3"	111 to 124 lb	121 to 135 lb	131 to 147 lb
5'2"	108 to 121 lb	118 to 132 lb	128 to 143 lb
5'1"	106 to 118 lb	115 to 129 lb	125 to 140 lb
5'	104 to 115 lb	113 to 126 lb	122 to 137 lb
4'11"	103 to 113 lb	111 to 123 lb	120 to 134 lb
4'10"	102 to 111 lb	109 to 121 lb	118 to 131 lb

Data from height and weight tables of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1983. The ideal weight given in these tables are for ages 25 to 59. The ideal weight assumes you are wearing shoes with 1-inch heels and indoor clothing weighing 3 pounds.

Ideal Weight Chart for Men

Height in Shoes	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame
6'4"	162 to 176 lb	171 to 187 lb	181 to 207 lb
6'3"	158 to 172 lb	167 to 182 lb	176 to 202 lb
6'2"	155 to 168 lb	164 to 178 lb	172 to 197 lb
6'1"	152 to 164 lb	160 to 174 lb	168 to 192 lb
6'	149 to 160 lb	157 to 170 lb	164 to 188 lb
5'11"	146 to 157 lb	154 to 166 lb	161 to 184 lb
5'10"	144 to 154 lb	151 to 163 lb	158 to 180 lb
5'9"	142 to 151 lb	148 to 160 lb	155 to 176 lb
5'8"	140 to 148 lb	145 to 157 lb	152 to 172 lb
5'7"	138 to 145 lb	142 to 154 lb	149 to 168 lb
5'6"	136 to 142 lb	139 to 151 lb	146 to 164 lb
5'5"	134 to 140 lb	137 to 148 lb	144 to 160 lb
5'4"	132 to 138 lb	135 to 145 lb	142 to 156 lb
5'3"	130 to 136 lb	133 to 143 lb	140 to 153 lb
5'2"	128 to 134 lb	131 to 141 lb	138 to 150 lb

From height and weight tables of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1983. The ideal weight given in these tables are for ages 25 to 59. The ideal weight assumes you are wearing shoes with 1-inch heels and indoor clothing weighing 5 pounds.

Frame size or body build is determined by the thickness of the bones in your elbows, knees, ankles, and wrists. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company offers this method of determining your body frame size:

Extend your arm and bend your forearm upward at a 90 degree angle. With your fingers straight, turn the inside of your wrist toward your body.
Place your thumb and index finger of the other hand on the two prominent bones of the elbow.
Measure the space between the fingers against a ruler or a tape measure. Compare your measurement with the figures in the table below.
Elbow measurements less than those given indicate a small frame; greater measurements indicate a large frame.

Elbow Size for Women

Height in 1" Heels	Elbow Breadth for Medium Frame
4'10" to 5'3"	2 1/4" to 2 1/2"
5'4" to 6'0"	2 3/8" to 2 5/8"

Elbow Size for Men

Height in 1" Heels	Elbow Breadth for Medium Frame
5'2" to 5'7"	2 1/2" to 2 7/8"
5'8" to 6'3"	2 3/4" to 3 1/8"
6'4"	2 7/8" to 3 1/4"

Consider body composition. If you are muscular and athletic, you may weigh more than a more sedentary person of the same height and frame size, yet you may be trim, while your sedentary counterpart may be overweight. If your weight comes from muscle, you may fall technically into the overweight category yet not be fat. Just because you are more muscular does not necessarily mean that you are healthier. More weight in the form of muscle can also put more stress on the internal organs of the body. In fact pictures of some unhealthy hearts can look like a heart on steroids. It looks big and strong because it is doing so much work, and too much work is not always a good thing. All things in moderation.

The chart below is the original Metlife Healthy Weight Chart. People were thinner in 1942. In fact at that time the insurance company was probably just as worried about people being too thin. Tired of math and charts? Old movies are the healthy weight formula.

This ideal weight chart shows that people were lighter in 1942.

Is an Average Weight a Healthy Weight?

Many people assume that an average weight is a healthy weight. This is not a bad assumption except that the average weight has gone way up in the last few years. The BMI was first based on average weight of non starving people over a century ago. Back then being too thin was a bigger problem. I chose 1970 as the most recent year when people were not to heavy to give you the average or the ideal height for weight.

Record Your Health and Weight Here:

Here is a chart to track your weight and other health factors:

healthy weight chart pdf

and

yearly healthy weight chart pdf

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