Ideal Weight and Height Charts: Benchmarks by Age & Gender

Ideal weight and height ratios vary based on age, frame size, and gender. Use our charts to determine healthy body measurements and find your happy weight beyond the scale.

Woman weighing herself on a bathroom scale

Ideal Weight for 5'6 Female

The medical community uses the terms "desirable weight" and "ideal weight" interchangeably and assesses both via weight-for-height tables such as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's weight-for-height table and the body mass index table, according to the textbook "Essentials for Health and Wellness."

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old woman standing on weight scale in living room

Ideal Weight for Women Over 60

There isn't one weight that's ideal for every woman over age 60. What a woman should weigh depends on a number of factors, including her height and frame size. It's also possible to be of a normal weight but have a high of body fat percentage, which can sometimes happen as women get older and lose muscle mass.

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High school kids using mobile phone while relaxing

The Average Weight & Height for a 16-Year-Old

The high school years are full of transition for teens. Not only are they learning how to drive, manage school, make friends, and work, they are also growing in height and weight. Even at 16, both boys and girls are still experiencing growth sports -- some more than others.

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Group Of Female High School Students Talking By Lockers

The Average Weight & Height of a 15-Year-Old

Determining the average weight and height of a 15-year-old is not an exact science. Since teens are still growing, especially in regards to their weight, it can be difficult to assign an average number. That's why body mass index is often when looking at the health status of a teenager.

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Female bare feet with weight scale

Normal Weight for a 5'4" Girl

Determining what a normal body weight for a 5'4'' girl is can be determined by using height-weight charts, body mass index and ideal body weight equations.

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Woman stepping on scale

Normal Weight for a Woman at 5' 8''

Women who are 5 feet 8 inches tall have ideal body weights higher than women of shorter statures. Normal weights for women who are 5 feet 8 inches tall are determined using frame size, activity level and body mass index, or BMI.

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Girl in beachwear

Can You Flatten Your Stomach in One Week?

Many of us dream about dropping enough weight to have a flat, bikini stomach, but unless you’re already thin, it will probably take longer than a week. Shrinking your belly is dependent on lowering your overall body fat percentage and that takes time, depending on what your starting point is.

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children dream

Normal Height & Weight for a School-Age Child

Approximately 17 percent of children qualify as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity puts your child at an increased risk for health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

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Portrait of a young boy lying on the floor holding a football

The Normal Weight & Height for a 4-Year-Old

Most child characteristics—including weight and height—vary across a wide range. View any group of children of the same age and gender, and you will see some children who are shorter than others, some who tower over their peers, some who seem scrawny and some who appear to be carrying extra pounds.

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Young woman working at desk

Ideal Weight Calorie Calculator

Both your weight and body composition are important for good health. No ideal body weight exists for anyone, but rather there is a range of acceptable weights for any given height. A doctor can advise you on whether you're at a healthy weight or have an increased risk of obesity-related health problems.

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New dress fits perfectly

Why Do You Look Slimmer in the Morning?

When you look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning, you see a belly that's flatter than at any other time during the day. This happens because you're coming off of a multi-hour fast -- which means that most of your food has been digested, so it can't cause any bloat.

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Pair of female feet on a bathroom scale

Ideal Weight for a 5'9 Stature

The number of overweight and obese people in the United States increased from 45.8 percent to 73.9 percent between 1960 and 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between those times, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey weighed and measured a large sample of the U.S.

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Studio shot of soy beans

Does Soy Make You Gain Weight?

Any food, eaten in excess, will make you gain weight, which includes foods made from soy. That doesn't mean that soy is inherently fattening, though; in fact, many soy-derived foods have nutrients that actually help with weight control.

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Woman drinking water in the room

The Ideal Water Weight for a Woman's Body

Water is important for regulating body temperature, cushioning your joints, strengthening your muscles, providing moisture for your skin and other tissues, and for carrying nutrients to your cells.

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