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Healthy Body Calculator®




Read visitors' weight control success stories using Ask the Dietitian® calculators.

Read frequently asked questions about the Healthy Body Calculator®.

Your Body Data Required
Measurement units: US
Metric
Age: years
Gender: Male
Female
 
 
Measurements Required
Height: feet    inches
Weight: pounds
 
Amputations Optional
Do you have any amputated limbs: Yes
No
 
Activity Level Optional
Daily activity
(hours per day):
Sleeping
Sedentary
sitting, standing, driving
Low activity
billiards, canoeing (leisurely), dancing (ballroom), golf (with cart), horseback riding (walking), loading/unloading car, taking out trash, walking (2 mph), walking the dog, watering plants
Active
calisthenics (no weight), cycling (leisurely), gardening (no lifting), golf (no cart), household tasks (moderate effort mopping), mowing lawn (power mower), raking lawn, swimming (slow), vacuuming, walking (3-4 mph)
Very active
chopping wood, climbing hills (no load up to 5 kg load), cycling (moderately), dancing (aerobic, ballet, ballroom fast), jogging (10 minute mile), surfing, swimming, tennis
 
Weight Goal Optional
Weight goal:
If you are pregnant, your report will not allow weight loss. If you are pregnant, your report will calculate a healthy weight gain and Your Nutrition Facts will include the additional calories and protein for your baby's development. If your weight goal results in a calorie Daily Value of < 1,200 calories per day, then Your Nutrition Facts will calculate a slower rate of weight loss than you selected. 1,200 calories per day is the minimum to meet your nutrient needs. Your Nutrition Facts will include the additional calories and protein necessary for a healthy weight gain. If you were underweight before you became pregnant, you should choose to gain one or two pounds per week in addition to the normal weight gain during pregnancy.
 
Body Fat Optional
Current: percent
If you have been measured and know what percent body fat you are, type in your current value if you are a lean athlete with lower than average body fat. Body fat can be tested by calipher (a pliers-like instrument used to measure thickness), electrical impedance, underwater weighting or dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). (If your body fat has been measured and you are lean, we will not compute your BMI which is a calculated estimate of risk to chronic disease that does not consider body composition. BMI is not an accurate calculation for lean athletes irrespective of body weight.)
Goal: percent
If you want to know what your weight should be at a different percent body fat, then type in your body fat goal.
 
Calorie Distribution Optional
Fat: percent
Protein: percent
Carbohydrate: percent
Current recommendations for a healthy diet are:
  • fat - 30%
  • protein - 20%
  • carbohydrate - 50%
Change these default values to different amounts to customize your calorie calculation.
 
Waist to Hip Ratio Optional
Waist circumference: inches
Hip circumference: inches
Waist to Hip Ratio determines distribution of body fat. More body fat in the upper body (chest and waist) suggests increased health risk for elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, stroke, longer time to conceive, heart disease or diabetes. More body fat in the lower body (hips and thighs) suggests lower health risk.
  1. Using a tape measure, measure the hips in inches (or centimeters) at the top of the hip bone on the right front of the body. This spot will be slightly lower than your belly button.
  2. Next, measure the waist 1" (2.5 cm) above your belly button in inches (or centimeters).
  3. Using these two measurement values, fill in your waist and hip measurements.
 




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Ask the Dietitian®     Copyright © 1995-2012    Joanne Larsen MS RD LD