MWL Figures Easier Than BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a method used to calculate healthy body weight. It isn't necessarily the best indicator for people with lots of muscle mass, and you have to use a complex formula to determine the end result. Sure there are charts and online calculators to help out, but wouldn't it be easier to have a number anyone can easily come up on their own? Thanks to a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno you do!

To calculate your body's Maximum Weight Limit (MWL), the weight you should not go over, men start with a baseline 5-foot 9-inches at 175 pounds and add or subtract 5 pounds for every inch difference in height. So a man who's 6-foot 1-inch shouldn't weight more than 195 pounds. Women start with a baseline figure of 5 feet tall at 125 pounds, adding or subtracting 4.5 pounds per inch difference.

The Bigger Picture: The end result is very similar to BMI, although much easier to calculate. The difference is that MWL gives you a definitive weight in pounds to stay under, kind of how the speed limit works for drivers. MWL may not be a perfect system, but if it works as a motivational tool for you, that's all that matters.