4/11/13 Healthy Weight: Assessing Your Weight | DNPAO | CDC

www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/index.html 1/2

Assessing  Your  Weight

If  you've  been  thinking  about  your  current  weight,  it  may  be  because  you've  noticed  a  change  inhow  your  clothes  fit.  Or  maybe  you've  been  told  by  a  health  care  professional  that  you  havehigh  blood  pressure  or  high  cholesterol  and  that  excessive  weight  could  be  a  contributingfactor.  The  first  step  is  to  assess  whether  or  not  your  current  weight  is  healthy.

How  can  I  tell  if  I'm  at  a  healthy  weight?Adult  Body  Mass  Index  or  BMIOne  way  to  begin  to  determine  whether  your  weight  is  a  healthy  one  is  to  calculate  your  "bodymass  index"  (BMI).  For  most  people,  BMI  is  a  reliable  indicator  of  body  fatness.  It  is  calculatedbased  on  your  height  and  weight.

To  calculate  your  BMI,  see  the  BMI  Calculator(/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html)  .  Or  determineyour  BMI  by  finding  your  height  and  weight  in  this  BMI  Index  Chart(http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/better_health/bmi.jpg)    (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)  .

If  your  BMI  is  less  than  18.5,  it  falls  within  the  "underweight"  range.If  your  BMI  is  18.5  to  24.9,  it  falls  within  the  "normal"  or  Healthy  Weight  range.If  your  BMI  is  25.0  to  29.9,  it  falls  within  the  "overweight"  range.If  your  BMI  is  30.0  or  higher,  it  falls  within  the  "obese"  range.

"Underweight",  "normal",  "overweight",  and  "obese"  are  all  labels  for  ranges  of  weight.  Obese  and  overweight  describeranges  of  weight  that  are  greater  than  what  is  considered  healthy  for  a  given  height,  while  underweight  describes  a  weightthat  is  lower  than  what  is  considered  healthy.  If  your  BMI  falls  outside  of  the  "normal"  or  Healthy  Weight  range,  you  maywant  to  talk  to  your  doctor  or  health  care  provider  about  how  you  might  achieve  a  healthier  body  weight.  Obesity  andoverweight  have  been  shown  to  increase  the  likelihood  of  certain  diseases  and  other  health  problems.

At  an  individual  level,  BMI  can  be  used  as  a  screening  tool  but  is  not  diagnostic  of  the  body  fatness  or  health  of  an  individual.A  trained  healthcare  provider  should  perform  appropriate  health  assessments  in  order  to  evaluate  an  individual's  healthstatus  and  risks.

For  more,  see  About  Adult  BMI  (/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/index.html)  .

Waist  CircumferenceAnother  way  to  assess  your  weight  is  to  measure  your  waist  size.  Your  waistline  may  be  telling  you  that  you  have  a  higherrisk  of  developing  obesity-­related  conditions  if  you  are:

A  man  whose  waist  circumference  is  more  than  40  inchesA  non-­pregnant  woman  whose  waist  circumference  is  more  than  35  inches

Excessive  abdominal  fat  is  serious  because  it  places  you  at  greater  risk  for  developing  obesity-­related  conditions,  such  asType  2  Diabetes,  high  blood  cholesterol,  high  triglycerides,  high  blood  pressure,  and  coronary  artery  disease.  Individualswho  have  excessive  abdominal  fat  should  consult  with  their  physicians  or  other  health  care  providers  to  develop  a  plan  forlosing  weight.

How  To  Measure  Your  Waist  Size

To  measure  your  waist  size  (circumference),  place  a  tape  measure  around  your  bare  abdomen  just  above  yourhip  bone.  Be  sure  that  the  tape  is  snug,  but  does  not  compress  your  skin,  and  is  parallel  to  the  floor.  Relax,  exhale,  andmeasure  your  waist.

AdultBMI  Calculator

(bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html)

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4/11/13 Healthy Weight: Assessing Your Weight | DNPAO | CDC

www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/index.html 2/2

Page  last  reviewed:  August  17,  2011Page  last  updated:  August  17,  2011Content  source:  Division  of  Nutrition,  Physical  Activity,  and  Obesity,  National  Center  for  Chronic  Disease  Prevention  and  Health  Promotion

Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention      1600  Clifton  Rd.  Atlanta,  GA  30333,  USA800-­CDC-­INFO  (800-­232-­4636)  TTY:  (888)  232-­6348  -­  Contact  CDC–INFO

Note:  The  information  on  these  pages  is  intended  for  adult  men  and  non-­pregnant  women  only.  To  assess  the  weight  ofchildren  or  teenagers,  see  the  Child  and  Teen  BMI  Calculator  (http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi)  .

Want  to  learn  more?Losing  Weight  (/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html)  If  you've  decided  to  lose  weight,  even  modest  weight  loss  can  mean  big  health  benefits.

Preventing  Weight  Gain  (/healthyweight/prevention/index.html)  Choosing  a  lifestyle  that  includes  good  eating  habits  and  daily  physical  activity  can  prevent  weight  gain.

The  Health  Effects  of  Overweight  and  Obesity  (/healthyweight/effects/index.html)  Being  overweight  or  obese  can  increase  your  chances  of  developing  certain  diseases.  Your  health  care  provider  can  help  youassess  your  risk  factors  and  offer  guidance  on  losing  weight.

ReferencesDHHS,  A  Healthier  You,  page  14.

 

 

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