Ideal Weight for Women

With respect to the age, gender, and height, the recommended body weight differs from one individual to another. For example, the ideal weight for men differs from that of women and vice versa. Likewise, the healthy weight for children depends upon certain aspects. According to health experts, a woman's healthy weight should fall within a range of values that are recommended with reference to the age, height, and body frame. Too low or too high weight value increases the risk of medical problems.

So, to determine what is the correct weight for women and whether you fall in the healthy range or not, first know your height, weight, and body frame. We all are well acquainted with measurement of the height in inches and weight in pounds. For determining the body frame, measure the smallest area of the wrist. If the value is exactly 6 inch, then you have a medium frame. Wrist size below 6 inch is considered low frame, while a value higher than 6 inch is called a large frame. Depending upon this body frame, women's ideal body weight varies, even for those who have the same height.

Ideal Weight for Women: Chart

Maintaining correct weight for height is crucial to avoid the risk of certain obesity related diseases like hypertension, heart ailments, and cardiovascular diseases. Also, too thin is not desirable from the health perspective. Of course, the height factor matters a lot in deciding the healthy weight range. It is obvious that the ideal weight of a tall woman will be more than a short woman, irrespective of their body frame and age. For your reference, the following is a table denoting the ideal weight for women between the age of 29 - 59 years with reference to the height and body frame.

Ideal weight for women table:

Women Height	Small Frame	Medium Frame	Large Frame
4'9"	90 to 97	94 to 106	102 to 118
4'10"	92 to 100	97 to 109	105 to 121
4'11"	95 to 103	100 to 112	108 to 124
5'0"	98 to 106	103 to 116	111 to 127
5'1"	101 to 109	106 to 118	114 to 130
5'2"	104 to 112	109 to 122	117 to 134
5'3"	107 to 115	112 to 126	121 to 138
5'4"	110 to 119	116 to 131	125 to 142
5'5"	114 to 123	120 to 136	129 to 146
5'6"	118 to 127	124 to 139	133 to 150
5'7"	122 to 131	128 to 143	137 to 154
5'8"	126 to 136	132 to 147	141 to 159
5'9"	130 to 140	136 to 151	145 to 164
5'10"	134 to 144	140 to 155	149 to 169

Height: Ft/inches, Weight: Pounds

With this, you can find out the prescribed weight values with respect to your height and body frame. The table above excludes cases of pregnant women and those of bodybuilding women. Simply speaking, the ideal body of a woman is characterized by a slim waist with a wider, but proportionate hips. However, having more fat cells doesn't mean that the person is unhealthy. Also, it is to be borne in mind that the healthy range of weight for women may differ slightly from one data to another. Read more on weight and height conversion chart.

Ideal Weight for Women: The BMI Method

Besides the above healthy weight for women chart, a simple ideal weight calculator method is body mass index (BMI). It makes a comparison of weight against the degree of tallness. For estimating BMI, measure the height in inches and weight in pounds. Jot down the values and calculate the BMI by using the formula (Weight/ Height Squared) x 703. Based on BMI result, the healthy weight for women of specific age groups is given below.

• Ideal Weight for Women Over 40 - For women above 40 years old, the ideal body weight is a BMI value of 22. An underweight woman has higher risk of developing calcium deficiency disease, osteoporosis, infertility, and anemia.
• Ideal Weight for Women Over 50 - The BMI value suggesting the healthy weight for women above 50 years is suggested to be 22 - 23. After menopause that usually occurs when a woman turns 51 years, the weight of a woman tends to increase considerably.

Overall, a woman is said to have a healthy weight if her BMI falls between 18.5 - 24.9. On the contrary, BMI value below 18.5 is underweight, BMI value above 25 and below 29.9 is overweight, and lastly, a BMI value above 30 is obese. As we grow older, it becomes more important to keep a watch over body weight. This is because, with the process of aging, the metabolic rate slows down and there are certain changes that take place in the body.

Some people tend to accumulate fats in specific body parts like belly, hips, and thighs. According to researches, fat deposited around the belly (central obesity or apple-shaped body) is riskier than others. Taking this into consideration, another approach to determine the fitness level is measuring the waist size at the belly button level. Ideally, women should have a waist size lesser than 32 inches. Maintaining weight within the healthy range can be achieved by making certain lifestyle changes, in terms of diet and exercise, as prescribed by the doctor.