It's important to determine your correct weight for height in order to tell if you're underweight, overweight or just the right size. The correct weight for your height simply refers to how persons of differing heights should have different weights. Taller individuals will be able to carry more weight without being considered overweight. Likewise, shorter individuals will be able to carry less weight before being considered overweight. The opposite of these facts holds true when it comes to being underweight.
For most of us it's good news when we realize the exact number on our scales is not that important. What you weigh and whether you are underweight or overweight is all relative to your height. Here's how to tell your correct weight for height:
Finding Your Correct Weight for Height
Use the following tables to find the correct weight for your height. All heights are in feet and inches and weights are in pounds.
| Height | Average Weight | Low/High |
| 4'11 | 117 | 101/134 |
| 5'0 | 120 | 103/137 |
| 5'1 | 122 | 105/140 |
| 5'2 | 125 | 108/144 |
| 5'3 | 128 | 111/148 |
| 5'4 | 133 | 114/152 |
| 5'5 | 136 | 117/156 |
| 5'6 | 140 | 120/160 |
| 5'7 | 143 | 123/164 |
| 5'8 | 146 | 126/167 |
| 5'9 | 150 | 129/170 |
| 5'10 | 153 | 132/173 |
| 5'11 | 156 | 135/176 |
| 6'0 | 159 | 138/179 |
| Height | Average Weight | Low/High |
| 5'1 | 134 | 123/145 |
| 5'2 | 137 | 125/148 |
| 5'3 | 139 | 127/151 |
| 5'4 | 142 | 129/155 |
| 5'5 | 145 | 131/159 |
| 5'6 | 148 | 133/163 |
| 5'7 | 151 | 135/167 |
| 5'8 | 154 | 137/171 |
| 5'9 | 157 | 139/175 |
| 5'10 | 160 | 141/179 |
| 5'11 | 164 | 144/183 |
| 6'0 | 167 | 147/187 |
| 6'1 | 171 | 150/192 |
| 6'2 | 175 | 153/197 |
| 6'3 | 179 | 157/202 |
If you find that you have a weight above the high number listed for your height than you may be overweight. If you find that you have a weight below the low number listed for your height you may be underweight. If your weight falls anywhere between the low/high range you are a normal weight. The average weight listed is simply the average weight of all males or females for a given height.
Limitations
Height to weight charts such as the one above serve a purpose; they give you a rough estimate of the right weight range for your height. However, there are many other factors that determine the appropriate weight for individuals.
Firstly, is bone structure or genetic make up. Have you ever heard someone say that she is just big boned or he has always been heavy set. This is because some people are genetically built to carry more weight. Conversely, some people can never seem to gain a pound no matter how hard they try. These people are naturally thin. This is part of the genetic variation that allows the human population to survive.
Secondly, height to weight charts do not account for activity levels. Body builders will obviously weigh more than the high limit for their height, but they are certainly not overweight.
Lastly, these height to weight charts do not account for pregnancy or lactation. Pregnant and lactating women may weigh much more than they normally would, but they are obviously not considered overweight.
While height to weight charts are useful, they really provide a general guideline to how much you should way. A better way of finding out if you're overweight or underweight is to calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI. This gives you a more accurate representation of your state of health as it takes into account a measurement of the ratio of fat and muscle mass in the human body in addition to height. Finding your BMI is also easy. .
