How to tackle under weight

How to tackle under weight

Under weight means, if the weight of the person is 10% below the ideal weights. In the west obesity is most common whereas in the tropics underweight is more seen may be due to poverty or lack of dietetic knowledge. Under weight may be due to constitutional (Familial), reduced intake, reduced absorption or due to increased utilisation of nutrients. Under weight person, if it is due to under nutrition are more liable to infectious diseases like tuberculosis. They are in high morbidity risk group. Causes of underweight Familial under weight - In this group if one or both parents are under weight there is increased chances are there for the child to be under weight. This may be due to multiple factors like hereditary, same nutritional and social practise in the family. It can be due tostarvation of any cause. That is restriction in the diet causing reduction in weight may be due to famine or socio-economic reason or to get a good figure or the fear of obesity or weight reducing diets. Psychological conditions like anorexia nervosa. It is commonly seen in adolescent girls may be due to distorted image they are having about their body. They eat very little food due to fear of weight gain. It can be due topoor absorption in diseases like malabsorption syndrome or any other condition causing chronic diarrhoea or vomiting. Under weight can be due to anychronic illness like tuberculosis, asthma, cancer, immune deficiency syndrome, anaemia, some type of diabetes mellitus etc. Under weight can also occur in nervous, active, tensed andoverworked people. In conditions likehyperthyroidism and chronic fevers, under weight is seen may be due to increased utilisation of the nutrient. In condition likechronic bleeding of any cause, result in loss of nutrients leading to under weight. Dietary Recommendations Rule out any pathological cause for under weight. A high protein, high calorie, high fat diet is recommended for an underweight person. Energy The total calorie should be increased. 500 kcal can be increased to the normal calorie allowance. This increase should be gradual in one or two weeks other wise digestive disturbances will occur. Protein Protein is also increased from 1 gm/kg body weight to 1.2gm/kg body weight. This should come from good quality protein like milk, eggs in the initial stages. Later other protein sources like pulses and legumes, nuts, meat, fish, poultry can be included in the diet. Fat Fat is also increased but fried and fatty foods are not recommended. Since it takes longer time for digestion and can cause diarrhoea in excess consumption. Butter, cream, margarine and oil will help to increase weight. These foods should not be taken at the beginning of the meal since it may reduce the appetite. Carbohydrates High carbohydrate foods like potato, sweet potato, colocasia, yam should be increased in the diet for the carbohydrate allowance. Dried fruits, nuts, sweets, dessert, jam, jelly, cereals can be added into the diet liberally. The number of meals can be increased. Vitamin and minerals Unlike protein, fat and carbohydrate there is no need for extra vitamins and minerals. Daily-recommended allowance of vitamins and minerals will be adequate. But if anaemia is present or any particular nutrient deficiency is there, it should be corrected. Fluid Normal fluid must be consumed in a day to avoid constipation and proper functioning of kidney. Fluids should not be taken before and in-between meals. Soft drinks, alcohol, tea and coffee must be reduced in the diet, since they reduce the appetite. Exercise Exercise is good to stimulate appetite. Constipation should be corrected by taking plenty of raw vegetables, fruits and fluids. General tips for under weight Eat frequently, 5 to 6 meals a day. Use full fat milk and milk product not skimmed. Enjoy nuts and dry fruits. Among the fruit, make banana your favourite. Cut down on tea and coffee. Stop smoking, it reduces appetite apart from other harms it have. Water should not be taken before and in between meals. Exercise increases appetite. Fried and fatty foods should be avoided. Include roots and tubers like potato, sweet potato, yam, tapioca and colocasia in the diet.

Nutrition During Pregnancy (Part II)

Nutrition During Pregnancy (Part II)

Great importance has been considered for the diet of pregnant women not only for the general well being for the mother and the baby and also for the prevention of complications for the mother as well as the baby. Neural Tube Defect Deficiency of folic acids and zinc has been implicated as the preventable cause of congenital anomaly of nerve tissue like menigomyelocele (protrusion of brain tissue and its covering to out side). Taking folic acid supplementation six weeks prior to becoming pregnant can prevent this. The centre for disease control of the US recommend that women of child bearing age who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to prevent neural tube defects. Folic acid rich foods are liver, kidney, green leafy vegetables and pulses and zinc rich foods are oysters, crabs and other seafood, wheat, bajra, pulses, pumpkin and nuts. Morning Sickness Morning sickness of early pregnancy can be corrected by small and frequent meals. Takinglemon or orange juice in the morning and before meals helps to relieve nausea of early pregnancy. Very rich sweets and fried foods should be avoided. Avoid excessive consumption of pickles or chutney, which is rich in salt. Constipation Constipation is the other problem seen among the pregnant woman. This can be rectified by including lot of fibrous foods in the diet such as whole grains, raw vegetables, and fruits and by drinking plenty of water. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Gestational diabetes mellitus increases the risk of pregnancy for the mother as well as the foetus. Insulin requirement goes up in pregnancy due to reduced insulin sensitivity and relative deficiency of insulin. Reduced insulin sensitivity in terms due to the ovarian and placental hormones and relative deficiency of insulin is due to in adequate compensatory insulin production by pancreas gland. The risk of toxaemia, intrauterine death, hydraminos (more fluid), macrosomia (large baby), microsomia (small baby), pre maturity, neonatal hypoglycaemia (less sugar) impaired lung maturity and congenital heart disease and other congenital anomalies are increased in gestational diabetes. By controlling blood sugar the incidence of these complications can be reduced.The problem in controlling diet is that it will interfere with requirement of the increased nutrient requirements during pregnancy and the risk of developing hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia is equally or more dangerous for mother and the foetus. Because of these limitations diet is not strictly controlled in gestational diabetes. The main principle is to have discipline in eating habit and reduce intake of simple carbohydrate.Total calories content can not be reduced below a certain limit with out compromising on nutrition. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension It is common among woman who is elderly primi (first pregnancy), maternal age in both extremities, on inadequate diets with little or no prenatal care. High blood pressure induced by pregnancy is called as pregnancy induced hypertension. This can not be prevented. But the complication of it both on mother and baby can be prevented to certain limit. It does harm to the baby because the blood supply going to the placenta is reduced as a result the baby does not receive adequate nutrition and oxygen, and may fail to grow properly and may not be able to with stand the stress of labour. In mother, if not controlled properly may cause eclampsia, which is a very serious condition for the mother and the baby. Alcohol And Smoking Alcohol consumption at the time of pregnancy is harmful. Risk of delivering a low birth weight baby is twice the normal to mother who consumes 100ml alcohol per week. Foetal breathing activity may be depressed with a small quantity of alcohol. Spontaneous abortion may be caused by maternal alcohol consumption. Foetal alcohol syndrome consists of physical and mental retardation and altered facial appearance. Maternal smoking and alcohol consumption increase the risk of intrauterine growth retardation The pregnant woman is not able to eat much at a time and therefore must space her meals and must include juice such as citrus, carrot, beetroot, buttermilk and simple snacks between meals. Diet must include milk, egg, fish, poultry, green and yellow vegetables, pulses and generous intake of citrus fruits should be added. Recommended Dietary Allowances for a Pregnant Woman * Index Normal adult woman Pregnant woman Sedentary worker 1800 kcal +300 kcal Moderate worker 2100 kcal +300 kcal Protein gm /day 1gm/kg body weight +15 gm Fat gm / day 15 gm 25 gm Calcium mg / day 400 mg 1000 mg Iron mg /day 30 mg 38 mg Folic acid mg/day 100 mg 400 mg * Source Indian Council of Medical Research 1989

Nutrition During Pregnancy (Part I)

Nutrition During Pregnancy (Part I)

Pregnancy is a period of great physiological as well as psychological stress for the women. She has to maintain her health at optimum level to prepare for delivery and lactation and also to provide good nutrition for the development of the foetus. Adequate nutrition before and during pregnancy is very important for a long-term health. A woman who has been well nourished before conception begins her pregnancy with reserves of several nutrients so that the needs of the growing foetus can be met without affecting her health. Infants, who are well nourished in the womb, have an enhanced chance of entering life in good health. Mother's diet should produce adequate nutrients so that maternal stores do not get depleted and produce sufficient milk to nourish her child after birth. If the mother is undernourished the baby is at an increased risk of being premature with low birth weight and development irregularities. Intrauterine nutrition is highly important for the growth of the central nervous system and kidneys of the foetus, which mature during the later part of pregnancy. In the first trimester the rate of growth of the foetus is slow and the mother is not able to take much food because of nausea and vomiting which are common during this period. It is during the next two trimesters that the foetus grows rapidly and therefore the nutritional needs for the formation of new tissues is increased. Therefore the diet of the pregnant women must provide the additional requirements. Apart from the increase in foetal tissue there is an increase in maternal tissues like mammary glands and tissues supporting the foetus like placenta. Accretion of nutrients in a foetus takes place during last trimester of pregnancy. This has to be supplied by mother either from her diet or from her reserve. A term neonate will have adequate stores of iron, protein, vitamin C and other vitamins. If the diet is lacking in nutrients and there is no store of nutrients foetus will have intra uterine growth retardation. A well balanced diet that is high in fibre, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and low in saturated fats will help a mother to stay fit and supply the foetus with all the essential nutrients for healthy development Weight Gain The weight gain for a mother during pregnancy is about 1.5 kg in the first three months. In first 3 months excessive vomiting can cause a slight loss of weight gain. In each subsequent months the average gain should be 1.5 kg being a little more in the last two months. At full term the total gain is about 10 - 12 kg. Sudden changes in weight, either gains or loss may be harmful and a warning sign. Nutrient Requirements During Pregnancy Energy A calorie requirement during pregnancy is increased for maintaining the growth of the foetus, placenta and maternal tissues and for the increased basal metabolic rate. In early pregnancy it is minimal but rises sharply towards the end of the first trimester and then remains more or less constant for the second and third trimesters. The energy requirement for a moderately active adult woman is about 40-kcal/kg body weight. Indian Council of Medical Research nutrition expert group has suggested additional 300 kcal per day during the second half of pregnancy. Foods that provide energy are rice, wheat, bajra, ragi, jowar and roots and tubers. These foods also provide thiamine, niacin and iron. Protein There is an increased demand for protein during pregnancy particularly in the second half of pregnancy. The normal protein requirement of adult women is 1gm/kg body weight. During pregnancy the Indian Council of Medical Research recommend an additional 15 gm/day. The additional protein is essential to meet growing tissue demands. For this additional daily requirement allowance, a good quality protein like milk or egg protein per day has to be supplemented. Minerals And Vitamins A good intake of all vitamins and minerals is essential but some are particularly important. Such as calcium is essential for the calcification of foetal bones and teeth and also for storage to meet the high demands during lactation. Use of vitamin D and calcium reduces muscular cramps of pregnancy. Dairy products, fish, green leafy vegetables give the calcium in your diet. Iron requirement during pregnancy is also increased. Iron is required for foetus and also for the mother due to increased production of haemoglobin and for the loss during parturition. This increased demand can be met with adequate stores of iron and eats plenty of iron rich foods such as meat, liver, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables and dried fruits. Iron absorption can be improved by taking vitamin C rich food such as citrus fruits or juices. By ensuring a healthy balance diet during pregnancy will prepare your baby for heady start in life.

The Benefits of Milk (Part 2)

The Benefits of Milk (Part 2)

Preservation of Milk Milk is a highly perishable food item. If left alone, milk is fermented or putrefied rapidly by micro-organisms especially bacteria. Various methods like boiling, pasteurisation, sterilisation etc are used to preserve milk for a longer period. Boiling Commonest household method of milk preservation is boiling. Lactic acid producing micro-organisms are killed during this process. Boiling brings minor changes to milk constituent like lacto-albumin and lacto-globulin are coagulated at 160oF and 168oF respectively. Caseinagen becomes more digestible. Fat emulsion is destroyed. Calcium, phosphorous and magnesium are precipitated and a portion of citrate is lost. Small amounts of vitamin C present will be lost and there is also partial loss of B complex vitamins. Pasteurisation French scientist Louis Pasteur discovered this method. Pasteurisation delays the natural souring of milk by 12 to 24 hours. It does not appreciably alter the food value of milk. It destroys organisms, which cause tuberculosis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and other non-spores organisms. Pasteurisation preserves, taste, flavour, appearance and digestibility. Sterilisation Raising the temperature to 100oC and then maintaining it for 15 minutes in closed vessel is used for sterilisation. It kills all micro-organisms and spores. The main disadvantages are the vitamin content is reduced as well as the biological value of protein becomes low. Drying of milk Milk is passed over heated rollers where it is evaporated and thin film is formed which is powered finally. This powder is easily digested. Condensed milk and Fermentation Evaporating the water from milk in a closed chamber in the absence of oxygen. Addition of cane sugar in sweetened condensed milk aids in preventing bacterial growth. Fermentation is the process by which milk is converted into products such as curd and similar milk products. Buttermilk, butter, ghee, khoya, paneer, cheese etc are few of the examples. Types of milk Milk content is manipulated in such a way to suit the different needs of human being. Skimmed milk Skimmed milk is prepared by removing the fat from whole milk by using a cream separator. Vitamin A and other fat-soluble vitamins are removed apart from fat and this form is not preferred for infants and young children. Since the fat is removed it is suitable for many therapeutic conditions like, diabetic, obesity, high cholesterol, heart diseases, hypertension etc. Skimmed milk has only 2.5gms of protein, 29kcal of energy, 120mgs of calcium, 90mgs of phosphorous and most importantly fat be only 0.1gms per 100ml. Toned milk Toning can be defined as the addition of the constituted skim milk to whole buffalo milk so to reduce the fat to 3%. Its nutritive value is almost similar to that of the fresh cow's milk. It is a useful source of protein for special conditions such as malnourishment, pregnancy etc. Doubled toned milk Double toned milk is prepared by mixing cow's milk or buffalo milk with fresh skim milk or skim milk reconstituted from skim milk powder so that the fat content is not less than 1.5%. Its nutritive value is similar to that of toned milk except for lower fat and vitamin A contents. Standardised milk Standardised milk is prepared from buffalo milk or a mixture of buffalo and cow's milk by mixing with skim milk so that the fat content of the mixture is reduced to 4.5%. Its nutritive value is almost similar to that of cow's milk. Sweetened condensed milk This contains about 40% sucrose but the concentration of milk solids is nearly the same as in evaporated milk but because of its high sucrose content it is not suitable for feeding infants. It can however be used for the preparation of pudding, coffee, and tea. It has to be reconstituted with water before consumption if required. Malted milk or powder Malted milk powder is prepared from whole milk and malt extract. It contains about 15% proteins and 7% fat. It can be used as food for invalids and convalescents and as supplement to the diets of children and adults. But it is not suitable for feeding infants. Milk products Milk products can be unfermented and fermented products which includes all types of milk, skimmed milk powder, cream, malai, khoya, cottage cheese (paneer) whey, curd, yoghurt, butter milk, butter and cheese. Skimmed milk powder To preserve the milk for longer time it can be dried and packed. To get this a thin layer of milk is run over heated cylinder, which is called as roller or drum process. The dried powder is removed by scraping. The other method is spray process in which minute droplets of milk are sprayed into a heated chamber and powder falls to the bottom. To reconstitute this powder into milk one part of the powder is added to eight parts of water. Skimmed milk is deficient in fat and fat soluble vitamins but the proteins, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals are preserved. Cream The fat, which floats to the surface of milk when allowed to stand for several hours are cream. Commercially it is separated by centrifugation. Types of cream Description Fat % Energy kcal per 100gms Half cream 12 133 Single cream 18 185 Sterilised cream 23 227 Whipping cream 35 329 Double cream 48 439 Clotted cream 55 500 Malai (clotted cream) The boiled milk should be allowed to cool for some time and a thick layer of fat and coagulated proteins collect at the surface. By repeating the process twice most of the fat can be removed. Buffalo milk, which is being richer in fat, produces better malai. Khoya Khoya is milk in which the water content is reduced to between 20 and 25percent. Khoya is prepared by vigorously boiling and stirring milk continuously. Khoya forms a uniform mass containing fats heat coagulated proteins and lactose. It can be stored for about 3-5 days and with the addition of sugar can be kept longer. It can be eaten as such or used for preparing sweets. Khoya provides 20% protein, 25% fat, and 413kcal of energy per 100 gms. Paneer (cottage cheese) Paneer is prepared by adding lemon juice to boiling milk in household use. Commercially the previous residual panner liquid is used which precipitates casein, lactalbumin, and fat. It is then strained through a cloth and paneer is collected. It is not a fermented product of milk so it cannot be ripened like cheese as boiling destroys all the organisms. Paneer supplies 15% protein, 22%fat, 5% carbohydrate, and 280kcal of energy per100gm. Curd Curd is a sour milk preparation regularly made in Indian homes. Dahi is eaten as such with salt or sugar or added to other preparations. The butterfat is removed from dahi by churning and used to make ghee. Curd has almost the same calorific value of cow's milk. 40 percent of lactose is converted to lactic acid. It has 3.1 gms of protein, 4gms of fat, 149mgs of calcium, and 93mgs of phosphorous.

The Benefits of Milk (Part 1)

The Benefits of Milk (Part 1)

Milk is considered as a complete and ideal food and it contains most of the proximate principles of a well balanced diet. Milk of various mammals is used for food but cow's milk is being used throughout out the world for feeding infants and as a supplement to the diets of the children and adults. The other animal's milk used are buffalo, goat, sheep, and camels. This nutrient packed drink is given to patient even during critical stage. Various milk products such as curd, butter milk, ghee, cheese, paneer, khoya, rabri etc are used commonly in our food preparations. This time tested nutritious drink is been criticised by few vocal people to the extent that milk is equated to poison. Nutritive value of milk Calories and protein Cow's milk provides 67kcl and buffalo milk provides 117kcl of energy per 100 ml. The protein content of cows and buffalo milk is about 3.2gm and 4.25gm per 100ml respectively. The milk proteins mainly consist of casein (about 80%) and whey (about 20 %). The proteins of milk are of a high biological value. The limiting factor of milk is that it lacks sulphur containing amino acids as compared to egg proteins. In cows milk Casein combined with calcium exists in milk in colloidal form and this is known as caseinogen. Fermentation of milk or the addition of rennet leads to precipitation of insoluble calcium caseinate curds. There is a higher proportion of calcium and casein in animal milk and hence the curds are harder and more difficult to digest than human milk. Cow's milk contains practically half the fat content of buffalo milk. Fat is in the form of glycerides in emulsified form which can be separated by allowing milk to stand for some time after boiling, the fat rises to the surface as cream. In diaries the fat is separated by centrifugation. Two third of fat in milk is saturated and one third is unsaturated. The fat of cow's or buffalo milk is poor source of essential fatty acids. Carbohydrates The main sugar present in milk is lactose. It is less sweet than cane sugar. The lactose contents of cow's and buffalo milk vary from 4.5 to 4.9%. The intestinal enzyme lactase digests lactose. Cells situated at the tip of intestinal villi produce the lactase. These cells get damaged early during a bout of diarrhoea especially in younger children. This result in lactose intolerance resulting in acidic diarrhoea usually associated with redness of perianal region. Lactase deficient patients may tolerate milk with cereals or cooked as custard better than liquid milk. Lactose is easily fermented by lactic acid bacilli and is used to produce fermented milk that can be kept for longer period than fresh milk and imparts various flavours to milk products. Lactose favours the absorption of calcium and phosphorous and the synthesis of some B complex vitamins in the small intestine. Vitamins Milk has got valuable amounts of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and nicotinic acid but is a poor source of vitamin C and E. It also contain vitamin B12 which is absent in vegetarian food items. Minerals The important minerals of milk are calcium, phosphorous, sodium and potassium. It is a poor source of iron. An infants diet must be supplemented with iron rich foods at an early age to prevent anaemia. Water Milk contains about 85% water. It thus supplies both food and fluid. Nutritive values of varies milk Nutrients Buffalo's milk Cow's milk Goat's milk Human milk Protein gm 4.3 3.2 3.3 1.1 Fat gm 6.5 4.1 4.5 3.4 Carbohydrate gm 5 4.4 4.6 7.4 Energy kcal 117 67 72 65 Calcium mg 210 120 170 28 Phosphorous mg 130 90 120 11 Iron mg 0.2 0.2 0.3 NA Thiamine mg 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.02 Riboflavin mg 0.10 0.19 0.04 0.02 Vitamin C mg 1 2 1 3 Vitamin B12 mcg 0.14 0.14 0.05 0.02

Are You Obese?

Are You Obese?

What is ideal body weight for me? Am I obese? How to reduce my weight? These are the most common queries I get from my clients. Glamorized images of thin models and muscle men encourage people to aspire towards an unrealistic body shape. Many people spend most of their time and money to get a good figure. They visit weight reduction clinics and gymnasium in the hope that drugs, diet and exercise will get them in shape over night. Whether the reasons for dieting are cosmetic or health related, slimming need not involve fad diets or peculiar eating patterns. A sensible balanced diet based on moderate quantities of foods that are low in fat will help most people to lose weight safely. The three main factors determine the ideal weight is age, sex and height. Calculation of BMI There are two widely recognised methods that are used all over the world to determine ideal weight for height. They are body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio. BMI is calculated by following formula. BMI = weight in Kg / height in meters x height in meters. For example if your height is 170 cm and weight is 62 kg, BMI is calculated as follows BMI = 62 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 21.4 The shortcoming of BMI is it fails to consider lean body mass. It is possible for a healthy, muscular individual with very low body fat to be classified obese using the BMI formula. For a trained athlete, your weight based on your measured percent body fat would be a better indicator of what you should weigh. Based on BMI, a person can be under weight, normal or obese as follows. BMI is below 20: This indicates under weight, which means you have a low amount of body fat. If you are athlete, this can be desirable. If you are not an athlete, a lean BMI can indicate that your weight may be too low. If your BMI and body weight is low you should consider gaining weight through good diet and exercise habits, to increase your muscle mass. BMI is between 20 and 22: This range indicates the ideal, healthy amount of body fat. Which is associated the lowest incidence of serious illness. Coincidentally, it seems this ratio is what many individuals perceive to be the most aesthetically attractive. BMI is between 22 and 25: This group is in the upper limit of normal range. This is still considered an acceptable range, and is associated with good health. BMI is between 25 and 30: If you are in this range, you are obese and must find a way to lose your weight. You are at increased risk for a variety of illnesses at your present weight. You should lose weight by changing your diet and exercise. BMI is over 30: This indicates a disease condition. Risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease and few type cancers are more in this group. By changing your diet and exercising pattern your target weight can be achieved. Category BMI kg/m2 Under weight Below 20 Normal 20 - 22 High normal 22 -25 Obesity 25 - 30 Extremely obese Over 30 Waist and Hip ratio: The predominant distribution of fat in an obese person whether in the upper part or lower part of the body may determine by waist hip ratio? Waist and hip measurements are taken on standing posture. Waist is measured around the navel and hip is measured around the broadest part of the hips. To calculate the waist hip ratio is waist measurement in centimeter divided by hip measurement in centimeter. The normal values ranges from 0.7 to 0.8. This is very important to determine the type of obesity whether it is upper or lower segment. In man fatty tissues are mostly in the upper segment of the body like nape of the neck, shoulder and abdomen. In female upper segment obesity is mainly on the waist, chest and arm. They have large sized normal number of cells. In contrast, women with lower segment obesity with fat accumulation on the hip and thigh have fat cells in greater number but of normal size. They find more difficult to lose weight. Having a normal BMI is not just sufficient and it is also important to have a normal waist hip ratio to have healthy and attractive body. Average height (cms) and weight (kgs) chart of Indian males * Height Age in years 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Cm Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg 148 42.7 44. 2 46. 2 47. 6 48. 8 50. 0 50. 9 150 43. 6 44. 9 46. 9 48. 5 49. 7 50. 8 51. 5 153 45. 4 47. 0 49. 0 50. 4 51. 7 52. 3 53. 5 155 46. 3 48. 1 49. 9 51. 5 52. 7 53. 5 54. 2 158 48. 6 50. 0 52. 0 53. 5 54. 5 55. 7 56. 3 160 49. 7 51. 1 53. 1 54. 7 55. 6 56. 7 57. 4 163 51. 1 52. 7 54. 9 56. 3 57. 6 58. 5 59. 4 165 53. 1 54. 7 56. 9 58. 5 59. 7 60. 6 62. 0 168 54. 0 56. 3 58. 1 60. 1 61. 5 62. 4 63. 7 170 56. 5 57. 9 60. 3 62. 2 63. 7 64. 7 65. 8 173 58. 1 60. 1 62. 2 64. 0 65. 8 67. 0 68. 3 175 60. 1 62. 2 64. 2 66. 0 68. 1 69. 7 71. 0 178 61. 9 64. 0 66. 3 68. 5 70. 6 71. 9 72. 4 180 64. 0 66. 2 68. 5 71. 0 73. 3 74. 4 75. 1 183 66. 0 68. 5 71. 0 73. 3 75. 6 77. 1 77. 8 Source: The life Insurance Corporation of India * These are average height and weight of Indian and not the ideal. Average height (cms) and weight (kgs) chart for Indian Females * Height Age in years 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Cm Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg Kg 148 38. 6 41. 0 42. 6 44. 0 45. 1 46. 3 47. 1 150 40. 3 41. 6 43. 5 44. 8 46. 0 47. 0 47. 7 153 41. 9 43. 5 45. 3 46. 6 47. 9 48. 4 49. 5 155 42. 8 44. 3 46. 2 47. 7 48. 8 49. 5 50. 1 158 44. 9 46. 3 48. 1 49. 5 50. 4 51. 6 52. 1 160 46. 0 47. 3 49. 1 50. 6 51. 5 52. 4 53. 0 163 47. 3 48. 8 50. 8 52. 1 52. 2 54. 1 54. 9 165 49. 1 50. 6 52. 6 54. 1 55. 3 56. 0 57. 3 168 50. 0 52. 1 53. 8 55. 6 56. 8 57. 7 59. 0 Source: The life Insurance Corporation of India * These are average height and weight of Indian and not the ideal.