Ideal Weight for Men - What is it?

When discussing the ideal weight for men, the first question to be asked is, is there really one ideal weight? The answer to that question is “yes… and no.”

Rather than one specific target weight that can be considered ideal, there is a healthy range of weights (3) for any man of a given age and height. In order to understand this range, we must first introduce the concept of Body Mass Index or BMI. Body Mass Index is a measurement of the percentage of body fat in the body relative to a person’s height and weight. The BMI uses the following classifications to determine overall health relative to a person’s weight:

BMI Categories:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

The goal is to aim for a BMI within the normal range, 18.5–24.9 and avoid carrying the extra weight that would put you in the overweight or obese category. You can calculate your BMI with this BMI Calculator.

After inputting your height and weight and hitting submit, your BMI is calculated. For instance, a man who is 5’10” tall and weighs 200 pounds has a BMI of 28.7 and would therefore be classified as overweight. The ideal weight for men who fall within the average height range of 5’9” to 5’11” would be, approximately, 125 to 180 pounds.

It is important to understand that the BMI is not a perfect tool. It cannot completely accurately predict a person’s body fat percentage based on weight and height alone. For the average person, it is probably a reasonably good estimate but for, for instance, when calculating the BMI of an athlete (2), the BMI would give an inaccurate assessment of body fat percentage. An athlete who is 5’10” tall and weighs 200 pounds may not actually be overweight because, in all likelihood, he would be carrying a higher percentage of muscle mass rather than body fat. The more athletic a person is, the more important it is to use other tools to get an accurate assessment of their body fat percentage. Fat calipers to measure skinfold thickness are a popular, a relatively cheap, way of measuring body fat percentage.

Other, more complicated and sometimes more expensive, ways of measuring body fat include using underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and computerized tomography. Whatever tool is used, the NIH and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established guidelines for the proper body fat percentage relative to one’s overall weight. For men, the following healthy weight (4) recommendations should be followed:

Age 20–40

• Underfat = Under 8%
• Healthy Range = 8%-19%
• Overweight = 19%-25%
• Obese = Over 25%

Age 41–60

• Underfat = Under 11%
• Healthy Range = 11%-22%
• Overweight = 22%-27%
• Obese = Over 27%

Age 61–79

• Underfat = Under 13%
• Healthy Range = 13%-25%
• Overweight = 25%-30%
• Obese = Over 30%

While it is extremely important to monitor overall body weight as the average weight for men (5), especially American men, continues to increase, it is even more important to be mindful of the amount of body fat in your body. Following NIH recommendations for getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most if not all days will help prevent adult obesity (6) and prevent your body from becoming overfat.