Ideal weight: definition, calculation, men, women

there is no ideal weight strictly speaking: this notion is very subjective. If you want to calculate your ideal weight, today there are tools and indicators that offer personalized results.

The weight of form is above all a question of feeling. Designates a weight with which one feels good, and which does not represent a danger to health. Let’s be very clear, there is no “ideal” weight for a given height. The weight of form must also take into account its type of morphology.

IBody Mass Index (BMI) is the main tool approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to calculate your ideal weight (weight in kg is divided by height squared). However, it does not take into account fat mass and muscle mass.

According to medical criteria, the weight is considered “normal” or “ideal” when the BMI of a man or a woman is included between 18.5 kg/m² and 25 kg/m². This fork allows take into account the morphology, the sex, and the age of each person. For example, if you are 1.60 m tall, you can weigh 48 to 63 kg and be considered a person of “normal” build.

Beyond the aesthetic aspect and the injunctions to thinness, if your BMI slightly exceeds the threshold of “normality”, remember that “fit weight” can be achieved and maintained over time without excessive deprivation. A varied and balanced diet, combined with enough physical exercise, helps to maintain it.

To note : according to the ESTEBAN study (Health study on the environment, biomonitoring, physical activity and nutrition) conducted in 2015 by Public Health France (source 1), the average Body Mass Index of French adults is 25.8 kg/m². Either a BMI slightly above the “norm”.

The BMI can be calculated alone, or with a doctor. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines several alert thresholds:

• Below 18.4 kg/m²the person is considered thin;
• Between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m²the person is considered to have a “normal” corpulence;
• Between 25 and 29.9 kg/m²the person is considered overweight;
• Between 30 to 34.9 kg/m²the person is considered to be moderately obese;
• Between 35 and 39.9 kg/m²the person is considered to be severely obese ;
• Above 40 kg/m²the person is considered to be morbidly obese.

There are recommended energy intakes, however these figures are only averages. THE energy requirement varies by sex (more muscular, men consume more calories), of age (after 40 years, we burn a little less), physical expensesAnd genetics.

Instead of counting calories, it’s easier tolisten to feelings of hunger and satiety. When you eat at more or less regular times, your body knows what it needs to last from one meal to another.

At the start of a meal, you are hungry, the food seems delicious. Little by little, the food becomes less good, it’s a sign that you’re full., and you have to stop eating…until the next craving. Try !

Getting active allows more gluttony! During exercise, additional calories are burned. But above all, by practicing a sport regularly, you increase your muscle mass, and at the same time, your energy needs (you burn more, even at rest).

The National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS) recommends the practice ofat least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (for example, walking briskly) per day, to stay in good health. Obesity specialists indicate that to have an impact on weight, the effective dose is closer to an hour.

If you start a sports activity, don’t expect dramatic weight loss. On the other hand, you will quickly have encouraging results on the silhouette, which is refined and toned.

French women and men began to gain weight from the 1990s. Although this evolution in weight has been less clear in recent years, 54% of men and 44% of women remain overweight or obese (BMI greater than 25) – (source 1). However, statistically, the more overweight you are, the greater the risk of developing or worsening pathologies such as diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia.

If your health warrants it, it is legitimate to embark on a food rebalancing. Start by drinking less alcoholic or sugary drinks, cooking more at home to eat less fat, stop snacking, consume more fruits and vegetables. But do not impose a strict or unbalanced diet on yourself, at the risk of a “yo-yo” effect. Prefer the personalized advice of a dietician or a nutritionist.