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Height and weight
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025

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All people are different and it’s not even that they have different characters and worldviews, but that there are differences in appearance: different body types, heights and weights.
The rate of change in height, weight, and body circumference is not the same in different periods of life. Thus, in the first year of life, a child will grow on average by 20 cm and will weigh three times more. However, the height and weight of a person in adulthood will not undergo such dramatic changes. These processes also differ in girls and boys.
Height and weight are closely related and are predetermined by genetic factors (children whose parents are tall are usually tall, while those whose parents are obese are prone to obesity). Sometimes certain factors can change the sequence of normal proportional development of these parameters: - heredity; - serious illnesses; - environmental factors; - unfavorable development in the womb; - bad habits; - sedentary lifestyle; - poor nutrition. For example, children who eat poorly grow more slowly and are underweight.
In order for a person to feel comfortable, their height and weight must be in harmony with each other. There are several ways to determine the optimal ratio of a person's weight to their height. However, the ideal weight calculated using one of the methods will only be approximate. After all, when calculating, it is not possible to take into account all the features of the constitution and structure of a particular person. In addition, muscle mass has a greater weight, unlike fat tissue. Therefore, those who constantly subject themselves to physical exertion in the gym will be more massive than a person who does not engage in sports, even with the same height and body volume.
In this regard, the indicators calculated using special formulas should be considered approximate. Height and weight, or more precisely their ideal ratio, can be calculated using the Quetelet formula. According to this method, you need to calculate the BMI (body mass index). It is derived by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by his height (taken in meters and squared). The resulting index should not be more than 25 (an indicator for people with a normal build). If it is higher, the weight is considered excessive. The value of the indicator also has a lower limit. If the index is less than 18, the person is considered underweight.
If you take height and weight and insert their values into the Lorenz formula, you can determine the optimal weight. To calculate, you need to subtract 100 from the height indicator (in cm) and then subtract from the result the number formed in the following way: height (again in cm) minus 150 and all this divided by 2. The method is very simple and the result is considered approximate.
It is better to measure height and weight for calculations in the first half of the day, because their indicators may change by the evening. The reason for the change in height during the day may be the flattening of the discs between the vertebrae, decreased muscle tone. Weight may change due to overeating, fluid intake.
Often people are unhappy with their appearance and believe that if they were a little taller (shorter) and thinner (fatter), most of their life's problems would disappear by themselves. Then they would be able to get a prestigious job without any problems, be the center of attention of the opposite sex, and in general, life would become much better. But if a person's height and weight do not differ significantly, then they do not necessarily strive to adjust their figure to ideal indicators. After all, the main thing is a good mood, health and well-being, and not standards invented by someone.
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