Everyone is different…different body compositions, different metabolisms, different genetics. Some of us simply look at food and gain weight (or so it seems), others can eat whatever, whenever with no ill-consequence on the mid-section. What gives? How do you know what weight is healthy for you?

Numerous clinical studies have shown a correlation between people with excess body fat and morbidity. On the other hand, the poor, skin-and-bones starving people in third-world countries didn't seem to live to a ripe-old age either. The fact of the matter is, dying is bad for you. So where was this magical sweet-spot? This perfect weight where life could be maximized, where disease incidence was lowest, and where healthiness overflowed?

The human body is a finely tuned, highly efficient machine. The food we eat is broken down into energy. This energy fuels our body and mind, maintains our body temperature and keeps our cells and organs functioning properly. When we eat too much food, we are said to have a "positive energy balance"…and what does our body do with this excess? Of course you know…blame your long-lost cavemen ancestors. It seems that over the eons, those who were able to store excess energy as body fat had a better chance of survival. When food was not so plentiful, they relied on this stored energy to survive. The genetics were past on, hence here we are today…efficient at storing body fat in times of abundance.

Americans have such an over-abundant food supply readily available, that it's much more likely a person is overweight than underweight. It's no wonder more than two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese. Now it seems the wisdom of our genetics, fashioned for survival, are working against us. The consequences of being overweight include: higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and even cancer to name a few. It's just not worth it!

Body Mass Index

Well, how do you determine what your healthy weight should be? There are several ways. The Body Mass Index is the most commonly used measurement of determining whether your body weight is healthy. It's a formula which takes your weight in kilograms relative to your height in meters squared. The result is then matched up against a series of ranges of numbers to see whether it's underweight, overweight, obese or just right. Certain factors can throw this measurement off, such as body composition, which is why it's not 100% accurate for everyone. For example, an athlete or bodybuilder may have little body fat, but a high BMI simply because of their higher proportion of lean body mass than the average individual. For most people, however, the BMI is a useful tool.

For me it seems to be agreeable with my idea of what healthy weight should be. I'm a twenty-five year old male, 5' 9" tall with a weight of 150 lbs. Putting the BMI formula to the test requires converting to metric units. 150 lbs. = 68.18 kg and 69 inches = 1.75 meters. 68.18 kg / (1.75 m)² = 22.26. An underweight BMI is 18.5 or less. The healthy range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is 25 to 29.9 and obese is 30 or greater.

Find out your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a scientific measurment based on your weight and height and is used as an indicator of weight status for adults. U.S. Calculation Height:  feet  inch(es) Weight:  pounds Your BMI: Metric Calculation Height:  Meters Weight:  Kilograms Your BMI:

The healthy range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is 25 to 29.9 and obese is 30 or greater.

Find out what your weight would be based on your desired BMI. A reasonable target for most people who are overweight is a BMI 2 units below their current one.

Your Weight at a Desired BMI:

Height: feet and inch(es) Desired BMI: Weight at desired BMI:

Other Healthy Weight Measurements

As stated earlier, BMI is not an accurate measurement for everyone. When Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia at the peak of his career, for example, his body mass index was a 31. By BMI standards, he would have been considered overweight, yet clearly he was not overfat. Other factors to consider are that some people need less fat, like an athlete or bodybuilder. Others, like an Alaska fisherman, may need more fat to stay warm. The right amount of fat is enough to meet needs, but not incur health risks. Generally, health problems may crop up when body fat percentage exceeds 22% in young men, 25% in men over 40 and 32% in young women, 35% in women over 40.

Additionally, where the fat is deposited can be more signifigant than the amount of fat. It's common for women to store fat around the hips and thighs during reproductive years and this is viewed as relatively harmless. However, central obesity (high amount of fat deposited around the abdominal reagion) is associated with higher health risks such as cardiovascular disease.

Waist circumference is used to identify central obesity. Women with a waist circumference greater than 35" and men greater than 40" are considered a higher risk for obesity-related health issues. Last of all, body fat percentage is a very useful tool in evaluating body composition.

Body Fat Percentage

It's a good idea to determine your body fat percentage and track your progress. There are several methods of testing body fat. One common and easy method is the use of fat calipers, which measure a pinch of skin. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Hydrodensitometry is another method of measuring body fat. It works by taking the difference between a person's actual weight and underwater weight and applying a formula to assess body density. Finally, bioelectrical impedence sends a low-level current through the body from point A to point B to assess composition. Many new quality household scales have this feature built-in to measure body fat. Some even measure water balance.

According to a bioelectrical impedance test I recently performed, my body fat percentage is 14.5%.The American College of Sports Medicine says the ideal level for a male age 20-29 years old is 14%, so I'm pretty close there as well.

Once you have your determined your body fat, here's the recommended body fat levels for men and women (notice it's healthy for women to have a higher percentage of body fat than men):

Recommended Body Fat Levels*
Age in Years	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
Men	14%	15%	17%	18%	19%
Women	20%	21%	22%	23%	24%
*American College of Sports Medicine

Yes, genetics do play a role in determining your propensity to store body fat. My father is also 5'9", has basically the same body composition and weighs the same as I do. The apple doesn't fall too far. On the other hand, my brother takes after our mother, who has always fought her weight. He's also 5'9", but weighs about 185. That puts his BMI at 27.46, overweight. Fortunately, with healthy diet and exercise, he's been able to lose 20 lbs over the past six months and keep it off, he was 205! One of the biggest factors he attributes the weight loss to is increasing his daily physical activity by waking up about a half an hour early and going for a walk with his wife every morning. He's made it a lifestyle change and looks forward to it every day. His goal is to lose 20 more pounds in the next six months.

I'm one of the lucky ones who instinctively balances the energy in equals energy out equation. For others, it doesn't come as easily. So what do you do when your well-meaning genetics backfire? Fight fire with fire…the metabolism boosting kind. Here are a few tips that will help:

Tip the Scale in Your Favor!

• Build more lean muscle! The more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be. That's because muscle requires more energy to maintain than body fat. After a workout, your metabolism will stay elevated for many hours!

• Speaking of workouts, you need to exercise! Once you start, you'll feel good about it and you'll want to keep up the good work. Physical activity burns calories and the more calories you burn, the easier it is to tip the energy balance equation in your favor! To lose body fat, you need to consistently have a negative energy balance, to the tune of 500 to 1000 kcalories per day. Healthy weight loss should be about one to two pounds or 1% of body weight per week (or about 10% over six months). Since 3500 kcalories equals one pound, for example, burning an extra 500 calories every day for a week would result in the loss of one pound of fat. Once you have reached the weight you're happy with, it's simply a matter of breaking even, consuming as much as you're burning.

• Don't crash diet, make eating healthy a lifestyle! Crash dieting, or yo-yo dieting often leads to just gaining the weight right back and worse, serious health risks. Why does this happen? Once again, our bodies are tuned for survival. A rapid reduction in daily caloric needs sends off alarms in the body and metabolism grinds to a screeching halt! It makes more sense to eat right to begin with…and what better way to lose weight than eating? Consume four to six small meals every day. Don't skip meals and eat breakfast! You'll keep the fire stoked, you won't be hungry and best of all, you're metabolism won't slow down. So, as long as you're burning more than you're eating overall the weight loss will continue.

• Finally, drink lots of water. The importance of water cannot be overstated. Proper hydration helps your body stay in balance. Don't forget your body is made up of mostly water (about 60%). Water aids in the delivery of vital nutrients throughout your body and carries away the toxins created during fat loss and regular body function. You should consume 8 to 10 tall glasses (cups) every day for your health!

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