We all know that keeping a healthy weight is crucial, but we often wonder the most attractive weight is for our height.
The most attractive weight for your height can significantly vary. For instance, the body mass index can give you a rough idea of how much you should weigh. Other factors can affect what weight is attractive, like your body type, culture, personal preference, etc.
What Is the Most Attractive Weight for My Height?
There is no exact weight that suits all heights because many factors can affect what is considered attractive per person. In general, to be at an attractive weight you want to have low enough body fat that your facial features are clearly visible, but not so skinny that you look unhealthy.
The Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) is a value derived from a person’s height and weight. The value estimates how much body fat adults have.
The values are:
- 18.5 and below (underweight)
- 18.5-24.9 (normal)
- 25.0-29.9 (overweight)
- 30 and above (obese)
Click here to look at a body mass index table.
The body mass index gives you a rough idea of how much you should weigh based on your height and gender. You can use a BMI calculator to know what number you are on the BMI scale.
Use this calculator to find out your BMI:
However, you should think of BMI as a guide, rather than an accurate measure of the best weight for your height. While many doctors still use BMI as a rough guide, most research proves it is not entirely accurate.
The body mass index is not an accurate indicator of body fat and does not state where the body’s fat is (Nuttal et al., 2015). If you have lots of visceral fat around your organs or around the belly, you could be much less healthy than someone with a higher BMI.
You might store fat differently than other people. For example, your submental region might be the last part of your face where fat melts off.
For you, it might be critical to be at a lower body fat level. If you still appear to have neck fat at low body levels though, you might have a low hyoid.
Additionally, the body mass index does not consider that some people have petite bone structures with tall and slim bodies. The body mass index may state that they are underweight, even if they are healthy and look normal.
Another excellent example of why BMI is not entirely accurate is that it does not differentiate body fat from muscle mass. A 5’10” male bodybuilder who weighs 210 pounds will look relatively fit and healthy. However, the body mass index would say that the bodybuilder is obese. That would not be true since most of the extra pounds would be muscle, which weighs more than fat. A good example of why the body mass index is not always accurate is Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is 6’2” and weighs around 240 pounds, which would mean his BMI is 30. The body mass index says that he is overweight, but anyone can see he is a muscular man.
However, the BMI does not tell you what the most attractive weight for your height is. It merely estimates how much body fat a person of a certain height should roughly have. It’s a good benchmark of health if you’re not very musclebound.
Another example is Beyonce, who weighs around 130 pounds and is 5’6” tall. She would have a normal and healthy BMI of 21, which may surprise some people. She is more shapely than most female celebrities, so people may assume she would have a slightly higher BMI.
Kim Kardashian is often considered a sex symbol because of her curves, and she weighs around 134 pounds with a BMI of about 24.51. Nicki Minaj is around 5’1-2” and weighs 137 pounds, which would give her a BMI of 25.0.
Nicki Minaj is only three more pounds heavier than Kim Kardashian, but the body mass index says she is overweight. Therefore, the body mass index is not always reliable.
Body Fat Percentage
Calculating body fat percentage is slightly better because it can calculate how much lean mass you have whereas BMI cannot. The DEXA scan is the most accurate way to estimate body fat percentage.
Still, a person with 10% body fat could look completely different based on how much muscle they have. Body fat percentage also doesn’t take fat storage into account.
Somatotypes and Body Shapes
Somatotypes (ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph) are largely pseudoscience. The reality is that people fluctuate in weight, height, and fat distribution, and categorizing them might not be inaccurate, but it also doesn’t offer any meaningful information.
The way you lose weight and bulk up is still the same, no matter who you are. Check out our guide to weight loss for more info.
Conclusion
The only thing that really matters is in what areas you store fat. Everyone gains and loses weight completely differently. If you retain fat in problem regions like your submental area, hips, and face, you might need to go to a much lower body fat percentage.
However, some people distribute fat pretty evenly and look good when they’re “thicker”. Not everyone prefers the skinny model look. Certain people will simply like you at a higher body fat percentage. This is especially true for men because as long as you’re “big” not everyone is able to perfectly tell whether your size comes from fat or muscle, provided you’re not too out of shape. But if you want to appeal to the most people possible, you should aim for a typical lean Hollywood physique.
Check out our men’s physique guide which breaks down the science behind physique attractiveness. In general, women should aim to lose as much body fat as they can to look fit, but not too skinny. Women on average have higher body fat levels than men because their body is trying to get them ready for pregnancy, and most men like it that way.
