What Is the Ideal Average Weight for Women?

BMI can be a screening tool for deciding the ideal weight for you and letting you know if your weight is on the higher side. But it does not tell us about your total body fat content or health status. This is because weight is a measure of water content + fat content + bone + muscle mass. Out of these things, the muscle mass varies the most amongst individuals. If you are someone who does muscle-strengthening exercises daily, you will have more muscle weight than others.

Being overweight and obese puts you at risk for many health disorders such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart diseases, stroke, and cancer amongst many others. To determine if a particular BMI exposes you to health risks, the healthcare provider will assess other factors such as

• your waist-circumference,
• waist-hip ratio,
• skinfold thickness,
• diet,
• physical activity, and
• family history.

Other methods to measure body fatness include

• skinfold thickness measurements,
• bioelectrical impedance, and
• dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

However, these methods are not always easily available, and they are either costly or need the expertise to conduct them.

What is the importance of the waist-hip ratio?

Your waist-to-hip ratio is another good parameter to check if you have a healthy weight or not. To calculate this ratio, you should first measure your waist circumference at its smallest part and your hip circumference at its widest part.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a waist-to-hip ratio in women should be:

To achieve a healthy weight or a healthy BMI and normal waist-hip ratio, it is vital to adopt healthy lifestyle choices such as a healthy dietary pattern and regular moderate- or high-intensity exercises (at least 30 minutes/day for most days of the week). A visit to a doctor or dietician will help you decide the best, feasible options for you.