Maximum Weight Limit – The New and Improved BMI?
By now, most people are familiar with the BMI (Body Mass Index)—a tool that can tell you whether you are underweight, healthy, or overweight based on a mathematical calculation using your height and weight. (Don’t know your BMI? Try this calculator.)
Now George Fernandez, a professor of applied statistics and director of the Center for Research Design and Analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno, says he’s come up with a simpler way to calculate your healthy weight level. He’s calling it the Maximum Weight Limit.
Here’s his explanation: “For men and women, there is a baseline height and weight. For men, the baseline is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 175 pounds, meaning that a 5-foot, 9-inch tall man should weigh no more than 175 pounds. For women, the baseline is 5-feet tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 125 pounds …”
For men: Take 175 lbs and add or subtract 5 lbs for every inch that you’re under or over 5′9″. That will give you your Maximum Weight Limit.
For women: Take 125 lbs and add or subtract 4.5 lbs for every inch that you’re under or over 5 feet. Then you’ll have your MWL.
For example, a 5′9″ woman (me) wouldn’t want to weigh more than 165.5 lbs.
Phew! That’s enough math for me for one day. Try calculating your MWL. Do you think it’s better/easier than the BMI?
Perhaps looking beyond your weight with a body assessment is the real way to improve your overall health.
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcatcarson/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
