Body weight and height
On this part of the website you will find out:
- why it is in your interests to understand your weight in kilograms
- what is your ideal weight
- how to work out your Body Mass Index (BMI)
- and how much easier it is to understand babies’ weights in kilograms
- examples of weights and heights from the world of sport
There is also specific advice for health professionals.
Why kilograms?
Many people in the UK are learning that knowing their weight in kilograms is much easier than trying to work out how stones, pounds and ounces work.
- simple to understand – do you know how many ounces there are in a stone? (What is a stone anyway?)
- easy to set diet targets – if you’re 75 kg and want to lose 10%, that’s 7.5 kg. If you’re 8 stone 9 pounds 6 ounces and you want to lose 10% that’s, well, er, you get the idea!
- used to set medicine dosages around the world – if you’re ill abroad don’t expect the doctor to understand if you give your or your child’s weight in stones
- used on British gym equipment – so you know how to set the machines correctly for your weight. Don’t let ignorance cause you an injury!
- are standard units for health care professionals worldwide
- used for Health and Safety indications in Britain.
Did you know?
- ” … The best advice for cancer prevention is to avoid weight gain, and if you are already overweight then you should aim to lose weight” Prof Sir Michael Marmot, World Cancer Research Fund Panel Chair.
- It is easiest to understand if you are overweight if you work in kilograms rather than stone and pounds.
- That professionals use height in centimetres and weight in kilograms to understand if babies or small children are growing healthily.
UK Metric Association 