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The ideal weight is the weight that the person should have for his height, which is important to avoid complications such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes or even malnutrition, when the person is very underweight. To calculate the ideal weight one must calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI), which takes into account age, weight and height.
It is important to mention that the BMI does not take into account the amount of fat, muscle or water that the person has, being only a weight reference for the person's height. Therefore, if a person has a lot of muscle mass or has fluid retention, the ideal weight indicates that the BMI may not be the most appropriate, being necessary, in these cases, to carry out a nutritional assessment.
Ideal weight calculator
To calculate the ideal weight in adults, use our calculator by entering your data below:
The ideal weight is an estimate of how much a person should weigh for their height, however there are other important factors that must be taken into account, such as fat, muscle and water, to determine what the ideal weight really is.
If there is any doubt regarding the weight, the ideal is to go to the nutritionist to make a complete nutritional assessment, because in this assessment it is possible that the background is taken into account and that the percentage of fat, muscles, activity is measured among others.
However, if you want to calculate the ideal weight for a child or adolescent, use our BMI calculator for children.
Weight table for children
Below we indicate the weight table up to 5 years of age for girls:
Age | Weight | Age | Weight | Age | Weight |
1 month | 3.2 - 4.8 kg | 6 months | 6.4 - 8.4 kg | 1 year and half | 9 - 11.6 kg |
2 months | 4, 6 - 5.8 kg | 8 months | 7 - 9 kg | 2 years | 10 - 13 kg |
3 months | 5.2 - 6.6 kg | 9 months | 7.2 - 9.4 kg | 3 years | 11 - 16 kg |
Four months | 5.6 - 7.1 kg | 10 months | 7.4 - 9.6 kg | Four years | 14 - 18.6 kg |
Five months | 6.1 - 7.8 kg | 11 months | 7.8 - 10.2 kg | 5 years | 15.6 - 21.4 kg |
Below we indicate the weight table up to 5 years of age for boys:
Age | Weight | Age | Weight | Age | Weight |
1 month | 3.8 - 5 kg | 7 months | 7.4 - 9.2 kg | 1 year and half | 9.8 - 12.2 kg |
2 months | 4.8 - 6.4 kg | 8 months | 7.6 - 9.6 kg | 2 years | 10.8 - 13.6 kg |
3 months | 5.6 - 7.2 kg | 9 months | 8 - 10 kg | 3 years | 12.8 - 16.2 kg |
Four months | 6.2 - 7.8 kg | 10 months | 8.2 - 10.2 kg | Four years | 14.4 - 18.8 kg |
Five months | 6.6 - 8.4 kg | 11 months | 8.4 - 10.6 kg | 5 years | 16 - 21.2 kg |
6 months | 7 - 8.8 kg | 1 year | 8.6 - 10.8 kg | ----- | ------ |
For children, weight is a more sensitive measure of nutritional status than height, because it reflects recent nutritional intake, so the tables above indicate weight for age. The relationship between weight and height starts to be taken into account after 2 years of age.
Check out the following video for some tips to weigh yourself correctly:
How to get to the ideal weight
When a person is outside his ideal weight value, he should consult a nutritionist to start a diet adapted to his needs, to increase or decrease weight. In addition, you should also consult a physical education teacher to start an appropriate exercise plan.
Achieving the ideal weight depends on whether the person is above or below it, so:
1. If you are overweight
For those who are overweight and want to achieve it, it is important to increase the consumption of healthy foods, rich in fiber and low in calories, such as eggplant, ginger, salmon and flaxseeds. These foods help to speed up metabolism and decrease anxiety, favoring weight loss. Check out other examples of foods that help you lose weight.
To achieve the fastest goal, it is recommended that exercise be performed to increase caloric expenditure and metabolism. The nutritionist can indicate some teas and natural supplements, if necessary, to promote weight loss and reduce anxiety.
In the case of morbid obesity, the doctor may recommend the use of some medications that help, in conjunction with an adequate diet and physical activity, to reduce weight. Another option is bariatric surgery, which is indicated for obese people and who have tried to lose weight through dieting, but who have not succeeded.
In addition to the ideal weight, it is also important to know the result of the waist-hip ratio to assess the risk of having cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes and heart attack. See how to calculate the waist-to-hip ratio.
2. If you are underweight
If the BMI result is below the ideal weight, it is important to seek the advice of a nutritionist so that a complete nutritional assessment is carried out and a nutritional plan adapted to the individual needs of the person is indicated.
In principle, weight gain should happen in a healthy way, favoring weight gain through muscle hypertrophy and not through the accumulation of fat in the body. Therefore, the consumption of foods such as pizzas, fried foods, hot dogs and hamburgers are not the best options for those who need to gain weight in a healthy way, as this type of fat can be accumulated inside the arteries, increasing the risk of diseases heart attacks.
In order to increase muscle mass, it is important to eat foods rich in proteins such as eggs, cheese, milk and dairy products, chicken or salmon, in addition to eating every 3 hours to increase caloric intake. See more details to increase weight in a healthy way.
In some cases, the lack of appetite may be related to some physical or emotional illness and the doctor may recommend carrying out medical tests to identify what may be the cause of weight loss.
Check out in the video below some tips to increase weight in a healthy way: