I recently did some research for an article that was requested by several readers to my website. The question was, Am I Overweight? This got me thinking about how we determine healthy weight and the tools we use such as the healthy weight chart.

When using the healthy weight chart as a means to determine if we are overweight we need to remember that this is a very broad and simplistic method.

The healthy weight chart or height weight chart can give a result that leaves some people confused.

To clarify, these charts can be used to produce a rough idea of where we are in a healthy weight range, what band we fall into based on a height and weight formula.

In recent times many people have questioned the accuracy of such a system that is based on such generalised personal information as height and weight and is constructed using comparative data that dates back 40 years.

The problem is that some people especially those who are taller than the average person, can be given a false sense of security when using the height weight chart as a measure of healthy weight.

All the information from the height weight chart is for information purposes only and should be used together with other relevant factors to decide if you are within a healthy weight range.

The healthy weight range system was established by collecting data from the population as a whole.

For the vast majority of the population the height weight chart gives a realistic picture of where you are within the range of healthy weight.

Because of the generalised nature of these tools you should always look at other factors besides the height weight chart to be confident in the accuracy of your result.

Caution, there are cases where the results have been incorrect for example:

We found that a taller than average man who was considered to be in the healthy weight range had developed some liver function problems.

Fatty liver disease is thought to be related to the amount of fat that is carried around the abdomen.

So if you are a tall person who tends to carry weight around the middle of your body you should ask your doctor for advice, and NOT rely on BMI as a measure of your healthy weight.

Conclusion: Instead of relying on a generalised BMI healthy weight system you should pay attention to fat distribution in the abdominal region and also overall body fat percentage as a more accurate and personalised approach to determining healthy weight.