Is there a Perfect Body Measurement for Women?

Is there a Perfect Body Measurement for Women?
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Body Mass Index

Visit a site such as the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to see where you stand in terms of your body mass index. The body mass index is the most common way to determine perfect body measurements for women. This formula takes into account your age, gender, height and weight. Ranging from underweight to obese, your number will fall into a certain category that will help you determine your weight loss goals. BMI also is used to screen for diseases, and there is a separate BMI calculator for teens and children. If you are a highly trained athlete with heavy muscle mass, BMI may not be a good indicator for you. You should instead take a look at your body fat percentage.

Body Fat Percentage

Another method, arguably a more accurate one since it takes your actual measurements into account, is the body fat percentage method. The U.S. Navy uses this method and uses tape measurements rather than more advanced methods to save costs. You can use a special calculator to exercise this method. Once you determine how much of your weight is fat and what is considered a healthy body fat percentage (for women, the fitness range is 21 to 24 percent), you can then determine how much weight you need to lose. A body fat chart will give you more information on how to determine these measurements using body fat calculations.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio

The waist-to-hip ratio is another measurement method. While this number varies according to culture, scientific studies show that 0.7 is considered a strong number, despite weight. Major female icons of attractiveness consistently have been in the 0.6 category. Used for both men and women, the waist to hip ratio is the measurement of the narrow part of the abdomen divided by the widest part of the waist. The measurement also is used in predictors of health conditions, mortality and fertility.

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