Nowadays, both men and women seem to be obsessed with the need to know what their ideal body weight is. The need arises for two reasons. Firstly, being overweight can lead to various disorders and diseases like type II diabetes, heart diseases, osteoarthritis and back pain. Secondly, a fat person may develop a negative self-image leading to various psychological disorders like depression.

A number of factors determine the ‘ideal weight’. Medically your height, muscle weight, bone density, fat weight and genetic make-up determine the ideal weight. However, television commercials and movies have generated an unrealistic narrow range of ‘ideal weight’. This is an unhealthy trend because you can’t fit everyone in the same mould.

However, some wise methods can be used to determine whether you are overweight in order to prevent its harmful effects. These can be your waist to hip ratio or a pinch test. Another quick and easy way is to refer to an ideal body weight chart. It is a good benchmark to test where you stand in the comparison to the standards set forth.

If your weight exceeds 5 kilos or more than the standard set in the chart then you are over weight.

One variety of ideal body weight charts is given below:

You have to be a little cautious when referring to the ideal body weight charts as they are not very accurate. This is because muscles weigh more than fat. Therefore, if you are a body-builder this chart is not for you. Also, a person with a small frame may weigh more than a person with a larger frame because of higher bone density.

Both over weight and under weight are unhealthy. Therefore, take a considered view of your weight and form a positive self-image.

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