How Much Is It Normal to Weigh at 45?

Finding your ideal weight can be pretty confusing. The media constantly produces images of thin, underweight models, and this can have a negative effect on viewers, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. ABC News reported in 2012 that the average woman is 23 percent heavier than the average model. Two decades ago, though, the average model only weighed 8 percent less than the average. It's no wonder, then, that both men and women have skewed perspectives on normal body weight, especially as their bodies age.

Body Mass Index

The ideal body weight varies from person to person. Instead of focusing on the number of pounds, men and women should focus on their body mass index, also known as BMI. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that BMI usually indicates whether a person has a normal percentage of body fat. When your BMI is too high or too low, it can serve as a warning for future health complications, such as heart disease. Generally, BMI of 18.5 or lower is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30 or above is obese. To measure your BMI, you can search for a BMI calculator online.

Body Frame

Ideal Weight and Muscle Mass for Height

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Body frame has a lot to do with your normal or ideal weight. Some people have larger frames than others, which often means that they will weigh more -- and that is healthy. Those with bigger frames should weigh somewhere on the higher end of a healthy BMI. According to the National Institutes of Health, assess your body frame by measuring your wrist size. For women who are 5'2" or shorter, a wrist size of 5.5 inches or less is considered small, 5.5 to 5.75 is medium and 5.75 inches or bigger is large. Women between 5'2" and 5'5" have small frames at less than 6 inches, medium at between 6 and 6.25 inches and large at 6.25 inches or bigger. Taller women have small frames at 6.25 inches, medium at between 6.25 to 6.5 inches and large at 6.5 inches or bigger. Men are considered small when their wrists measure smaller than 6.5 inches, medium when they are between 6.5 and 7.5 inches and large when they are over 7.5 inches.

Gender

Women usually weigh more than men, and women also have a harder time losing weight than men. According to "Time" magazine, this is due to body composition. Women have about 10 percent more body fat than men, even when both are out of shape. For this reason, it's not wise to compare the ideal weight of a 45-year-old female to that of a 45-year-old male, even when all other factors are the same, such as height and body frame.

Muscle Mass

Normal Weight and Height for a Male

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Although BMI is usually a relatively accurate measure of a person's body fat, it is also a flawed formula, especially for athletes, says Fox News. This is because BMI doesn't take muscle mass into consideration, and muscle weighs more than fat. For example, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was considered obese by BMI standards in 2005, even though he was in great shape. If you're an avid gym goer -- especially if you lift -- BMI might not apply to you, and your perfect weight might be higher than the ideal.