Ideal weight is not akin to an ideal body, it is a medical term that refers to how much you should weigh, based on your height, gender, and age. Professionals use different methods to determine whether one is overweight using methods such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio which categorise an adult’s weight as healthy, overweight, or obese.

Obesity occurs when an excessively high proportion of body fat which stems from a variety of factors, including slow metabolism, stress, body type, mental blocks, medications, menopause, medical problems, genetics and hormonal imbalances and overeating.

Let us look at ways of calculating one’s fat percentage all calculations apply to adults only.

Body Mass Index
BMI can be determined by dividing your weight in pounds and your height in inches squared and then multiplying by 705. A BMI of 30 or more qualifies an individual as obese.

For example
Of height 5'6" = 66 inches
66 squared (multiply the number by itself) = 4,356
190 pounds divided by 4,356 = 0.0436
0.0436 x 705 = 30.75 rounded up to a 31 BMI.

An individual is considered underweight if his or her BMI is less than 18.5. While a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a "normal" weight, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Individuals who fall into the BMI range of 25 to 34.9 will have health risks and the risk increases even further if your waist size is greater than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women the risk of obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease is high.

The next method to determine your waist circumference is to determine how much fat is collected around your midsection. Wrap a tape measure around your waist at the level of your belly button. Ideally the waist size for a woman should be less than 31.5 inches and for a man less than 37. The risk of heart disease and diabetes increases if the waist circumference is more than 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for a man.

The third common method is to measure the waist-to-hip ratio. Measure your hip circumference at the level of the two bony prominence felt in the front of your hips.

Then, divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference. The waist-to-hip ratio should be below 0.8 for a woman and below 1.0 for a man.

If you discover that your results are in the "danger zone" of health risks you need to make immediate changes for the sake of your health. Losing weight requires major lifestyle changes, including diet and nutrition, exercise. To lose weight, you'll need to cut calories. Height, weight, age and sex are the factors that influence your BMR. You can assess your own personal calorie needs with the following formula:

Weight measurement
Women: 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do these calculation, If you are sedentary, BMR x 20 percent. Lightly active multiply by 30 percent, moderately active if you exercise most days a week then BMR x 40 percent, If you are very active if you exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods then BMR x 50 percent. Add the obtained answer to your BMR. The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. To lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

Losing weight
The best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity aim at losing a pound a week. Weight is composed of water, muscle, and fat and your goal should be to shed excess fat and not muscle because it is involves calorie burning.

Include weight training at least three times a week to workout all the major muscles of your body as muscles not only tone and sculpt your body but also furnace your metabolism and will help you burn calories even while resting.

You can also eliminate excess body weight quicker and permanently. It doesn't matter where the weight is located the hips, arms, waist, thighs, buttocks or the face.

What matters is a good diet and exercise plan. Watch what you eat and be sure to include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in a day, along with whole grains, lean meat and low fat dairy products and lose weight the healthy way.