What is the norm between weight and height?

The optimal ratio of weight and height was always of interest to mankind. There are many methods for calculating the ideal body weight, but none of them can be called absolutely accurate. It is necessary to take into account not only the figures, but also the state of health and appearance. Far from always a person with a theoretically ideal values has a beautiful body, and on the contrary, an excellent figure can also be found in someone who did not fit into the norms of weight and growth adopted now.

With the same weight, height and age, two people of the same sex can look quite different - one will appear to be thinner than the other. Or an athlete with a developed musculature with a slender and smart figure can weigh more than a loose, plump man of the same height, because the muscles are heavier than fat. Sometimes outwardly thin man weighs more than someone who looks fat, at the expense of heavy bones.

Most formulas for calculating normal weight are not suitable for people who are too small or too tall. People of one height, but of different ages, can not have the same body weight, because with age, there is a gradual increase in weight, which is the norm. Fatty deposits in different people are distributed in the body is not the same even with one weight, and this affects the physique.

For a long time, the most famous and simple way to determine a person's weight was the formula of Paul Brock: growth minus a hundred. This method did not take into account the sex, age and structure of the body. Modern standards of weight and growth do not correspond to the values obtained by this formula, at least for young people. Therefore, in the case of people under the age of 30, it is customary to "decrease minus one hundred" by 10% or subtract from the growth of 110. For those who have crossed the 50-year boundary, the Brokk result is increased by 5-7%. Sometimes changes are introduced into this formula taking into account growth: from a height below 165 cm, 100 are subtracted, from 165 to 175 cm - 105, above 175 - 110. Brock's formula is adjusted taking into account the type of addition. For normocostic type, the result remains unchanged, for narrow-bones, 10% is subtracted from the result obtained, 10% is added for broad-bone.

Another popular way to determine the optimal ratio of weight and height, was proposed by Adolf Quetelet back in the 19th century. This method consists in deducing the mass index, which is calculated by the formula: weight in kilograms, divided by the height, squared. If the figure is in the range of 18 to 25, then the body weight can be considered optimal.

Some scientists believe that the orientation should not be on the ratio of weight and height in figures, but on the percentage of fat. To do this, measure the vertical fold of fat on the stomach at 2.5 cm from the navel. If the thickness of the fold is up to 2.5 cm, the fatty deposits are within the limits of the norm, over 2.5 - excess. Consequently, your weight can be considered optimal, regardless of its value, if the thickness of the fat fold is 1-2 cm.

As you know, the normal weight is not only an aesthetic, but also an opportunity to avoid many diseases. The most important thing for a person is not to have an ideal balance of weight and height, but a healthy percentage of fat and an external attraction that does not always depend on numbers. There is an easy way to determine the admissible completeness. This measurement of the waist circumference. For women, this value should not be more than 80 cm, for men - 95 cm. If the waist circumference exceeds 85 cm in women and 100 cm in men, the risk of various diseases increases. It is considered more dangerous if the waist circumference approaches or exceeds the hip circumference, which is usually the case with a large abdomen. Determine the normal weight can be the ratio of the waist and hips. To do this, the circumference of the waist should be divided into the girth of the hips. The result should not be more than 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men.