Do we have a skewed sense of what a 'healthy' weight is?

[summerdays]

I noticed the way your own version of normal varied with my children. First one larger than average, and stayed that way is now taller and slimmer than me, next one small but nicely chubby so everyone else's babies looked big, and is still small and slightly rounded, and the last, a really skinny thing that made all other babies look obese, still struggling to buy trousers with narrow enough waists (and running out of the option of those adjustable ones).

I think I even think of myself as slimmer (err not slim unfortunately) than I actually am. I'd like to be under 25 on the BMI scale.

 

[Julia9054]

I thought the waist to height was a better guide, waist should be no more than half your height

Does this take into account the differing shapes between men and women?
Surely you would expect that for a man and a woman who are the same height and both a healthy weight that the woman would have a smaller waist by a good few inches?

 

[jazzkat]

I think that our idea of normal is reset by what we see everyday. When we moved to the lakes we noticed that there were very few 'larger' people. We put it down to outdoor lifestyle, both of locals and visitors. When we visit people in other parts of the UK we notice how many more people are really big, kids included. But it is changing up here.Maybe down to it being cheaper to eat badly than eat well.

 

[MacB]

Does this take into account the differing shapes between men and women?
Surely you would expect that for a man and a woman who are the same height and both a healthy weight that the woman would have a smaller waist by a good few inches?

I have no idea but it seems to fit for me

 

[uclown2002]

Remember, waist to height ratio, is dependent on a proper measurement of the waist (just above belly button) rather than relying on clothing size.

The difference could be significant.