Weight goals for men
The healthy range for a man of 1.78 m runs from 58.6 kg to 78.9 kg — a wide band. If you are above it, aim first for a 5–10% loss; for a 100 kg man that is 5–10 kg, enough to lower blood pressure and improve blood sugar. Combine moderate calorie reduction with strength training so that the weight you lose is fat rather than muscle.
Where the BMI index comes from
The formula was described in the 1830s by the Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet, who noticed that adult weight rises roughly with the square of height. It was renamed “body mass index” by the physiologist Ancel Keys in 1972, and the World Health Organization adopted today’s cut-offs — 18.5, 25 and 30 — in the 1990s. That long history is why the same index is used by doctors, insurers and researchers around the world.
Healthy weight in stones and pounds
For readers who weigh themselves in stones — the healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 at common heights:
| Height | Healthy weight (BMI 18.5–24.9) | BMI 30 (obesity) from |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in | 6 st 5 lb – 8 st 7 lb | 10 st 4 lb |
| 5 ft 0 in | 6 st 11 lb – 9 st 1 lb | 11 st 0 lb |
| 5 ft 2 in | 7 st 3 lb – 9 st 10 lb | 11 st 10 lb |
| 5 ft 4 in | 7 st 10 lb – 10 st 5 lb | 12 st 7 lb |
| 5 ft 6 in | 8 st 3 lb – 11 st 0 lb | 13 st 4 lb |
| 5 ft 8 in | 8 st 10 lb – 11 st 10 lb | 14 st 1 lb |
| 5 ft 10 in | 9 st 3 lb – 12 st 6 lb | 14 st 13 lb |
| 6 ft 0 in | 9 st 10 lb – 13 st 2 lb | 15 st 11 lb |
| 6 ft 2 in | 10 st 4 lb – 13 st 12 lb | 16 st 10 lb |
| 6 ft 4 in | 10 st 12 lb – 14 st 9 lb | 17 st 8 lb |