The average weight for a 5’6 female and a 5’6 male might be higher than you think.
After all, Americans seem to be getting heavier, meaning that the average weight is also going up at each and every height.
Of course, the ideal weight for a 5’6 female and the normal weight for a 5’6 female are two completely different things; one is healthy, and one is overweight.
So with all this in mind, let’s learn more about the average and ideal 5’6 weight for both women and men.
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What is the average weight for a 5’6 female?
What is the average weight for a 5’6 female? According to the data, the average weight for a 5’6 female is between 175 pounds and 180 pounds, which works out to around 80 kg to 81.65 kg.
Since a 5’6 female is two inches taller than average for a woman, it’s only natural that she’ll weigh more on average as well.
To be sure, there are plenty of slim 5’6 women out there who try to stay in shape and who weigh much less than the 170-pound average (which is for all women).
However, the extra two inches of height will generally yield a body weight of between 175 lbs and 180 lbs for the average 5’6 woman, meaning that she’s overweight.
Related: Normal weight for a woman
What is the average weight for a 5’6 male?
What is the average weight for a 5’6 male? Based on the data that we have, the average weight for a 5’6 male is around 185 pounds or 84 kilograms.
Since a 5’6 male is 3 inches shorter than average for a man, he’ll naturally weigh a bit less than the 200-pound average, likely around 185 lbs or 84 kg.
Again, there are plenty of 5’6 men who weigh less than this due to burning off their excess calories with exercise.
Yet, there are also a fair few 5’6 guys who weigh much more than this due to having lots of body fat and or muscle mass.
If you’re a 5’6 man who weighs 185 lbs, then you’re considered borderline obese in terms of BMI (BMI, as I’ll explain later on, does have its limitations).
Related: Ideal weight for men
What is the ideal weight for a 5’6 female?
What is the ideal weight for a 5’6 female? The ideal weight for a 5’6 female is between 115 pounds on the very low end up to 155 pounds on the high end.
Now, the lower recommendation, while possibly healthy, is borderline underweight based on BMI. But you can certainly be quite skinny—up to a point—without negatively affecting your health.
Similarly, the upper recommendation, while normal in terms of BMI, is borderline overweight. Again, some women have a lot of muscle and also large frames, which naturally increases their body weight.
All things considered, a healthy weight for a 5’6 female is likely somewhere between these two body weights and will depend on the individual woman’s build and body composition.
Related:
What is a good BMI for a 5’6 female and a 5’6 male?
A good BMI for both a 5’6 female and a 5’6 male is between 18.5 and 24.9, which works out to a body weight between 115 lbs (52.16 kg) and 155 lbs (70.31 kg).
As mentioned above, these two body weights represent the lower and upper weight thresholds for a 5’6 person, respectively.
As such, for optimal health, most 5’6 people will naturally want to weigh somewhere in between these two weights.
But since BMI is just a screening tool that doesn’t take into account your body composition, it’s important to note that weighing more than 155 lbs doesn’t guarantee poor health, not at all.
For example, if you’re a lean 165 lbs, you’re technically overweight. But that kind of physique is likely much better from a health perspective than a semi-chubby 155 lbs.
What is considered obese for a 5’6 female?
A body weight of 187 pounds or more is considered obese for a 5’6 female because it’s over 20 lbs more than the upper limit of the recommended weight.
The same is true for 5’6 men.
While you can be overweight (in terms of BMI) and still be healthy, it’s highly doubtful that an obese 5’6 woman can enjoy her best health because she’ll likely be carrying too much body fat.
What is considered overweight for a 5’6 female?
A body weight that exceeds 155 lbs is considered overweight for a 5’6 female, whereas weights below this value are typically considered normal and healthy.
Of course, if a woman has a large build and/or quite a lot of muscle mass, she might weigh more than 155 lbs.
Whether this is ideal or not would need to be decided on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the other aspects of the particular woman’s health.
What is considered underweight for a 5’6 female?
A body weight below 155 pounds is considered underweight for a 5’6 female because such a body weight could be a sign of malnourishment or poor diet quality.
While some people are naturally skinnier than others, it’s not good to be underweight because being too thin can lead to a weakened immune system.
How much should a 5’6 female weigh?
How much should a 5’6 female weigh to be healthy? Generally, she should weigh between 120 lbs and 150 lbs, although body weights slightly outside of this range may be okay as well.
To make things clearer, we’ll see what a 5’6 woman would look like at various body weights and explain why a given weight is healthy or unhealthy for a 5 foot 6 woman.
5’6 100 lbs
Anyone who is 5’6 and 100 lbs is far too skinny because they’re around 2.5 BMI points into the underweight category.
While much is rightly said about the danger of obesity, it’s also important to stress the dangers of being underweight. You don’t want to become malnourished and weaken your immune system.
5’6 110 lbs
If you’re 5’6 and 110 lbs, then you’re underweight and should seek to healthily increase your body weight under the supervision of a doctor.
If you’re 5’6 and 115 lbs, then you’re borderline underweight and would also likely benefit from gaining a small amount of muscle and/or fat.
5’6 120 lbs
Those who are 5’6 and 120 lbs have a normal BMI but are definitely still on the skinny side due to their rather low body weight. Similarly, people who are 5’6 and 125 lbs are much lighter than average.
5’6 130 lbs
You have a BMI of 21 if you’re 5’6 and 130 lbs, which is around nine BMI points lower than average for women and men.
Your BMI (21.8) is in the middle of the normal range if you’re 5’6 and weigh 135 lbs, meaning that you likely have a slim, healthy body.
5’6 140 lbs
If you are 5’6 and weigh 140 lbs, then you have a 22.6 BMI. In a similar way, you have a BMI of 23.4 if you’re 5’6 and weigh 145 lbs.
5’6 150 lbs
If you’re 5’6 and 150 bs, then your body mass index score is 24.2. Similarly, you have a BMI of exactly 25 if you’re 5’6 and 155 lbs.
5’6 160 lbs
Someone who is 5’6 and who weighs 160 pounds has a body mass index of 25.8, which is considered slightly overweight. In a similar manner, people who are 5’6 and 165 pounds have a slightly overweight 26.6 BMI.
5’6 170 lbs
Women and men who are 5’6 and 170 lbs have a 27.4 BMI, while those who are 5’6 and 175 lbs have a BMI of 28.2.
5’6 180 lbs
Are you 5’6 and 180 lbs? If so, you have a 29.1 BMI, which is on the high end of the overweight range. Similarly, you have a high 29.9 BMI if you’re 5’6 and 185 lbs.
5’6 190 lbs
Your body mass index is 30.7 if you’re 5’6 and weigh 190 pounds, and your BMI is 31.5 if you’re 5’6 and 195 pounds. Both of these BMIs are considered slightly obese.
5’6 200 lbs
Men and women who are 5’6 and 200 lbs have a high BMI of 32.3, which, although obese, is only slightly above average in the US. Similarly, people who are 5’6 and 205 lbs have a 33.1 body mass index.
5’6 210 lbs
If you’re 5’6 and 210 pounds, you have an obese BMI of 33.9. In a similar way, you’re considered obese if you’re 5’6 and 215 pounds due to having a 34.7 BMI.
5’6 220 lbs
Are you 5’6 and 220 lbs? If this is the case, then your body mass index result is an obese 35.5. Additionally, if you’re 5’6 and weigh 225 lbs, your BMI is a fairly hefty 36.3.
5’6 230 lbs
Your BMI is 37.1 if you’re 5’6 and 230 pounds, and your BMI is 37.9 if you’re 5’6 and weigh 235 pounds.
5’6 240 lbs
Those who are 5’6 and weigh 240 lbs have a 38.7 BMI, while people who are 5’6 and weigh 245 lbs have a 39.5 BMI.
5’6 250 lbs
People who are 5’6 and 250 lbs are severely obese due to their 40.4 BMI, as are those who are 5’6 and 255 lbs since they have a 41.2 BMI.
5’6 260 lbs
If you’re 5’6 and 260 lbs, your BMI is 42 exactly, which is severely obese. Similarly, those who are 5’6 and weigh 265 lbs have a 42.8 BMI.
5’6 270 lbs
If you are 5’6 and weigh 270 pounds, then you’re morbidly obese due to your high 43.6 BMI. Additionally, people who are 5’6 and 275 pounds are severely obese due to having a body mass index of 44.4.
5’6 280 lbs
You have a body mass index of 45.2 if you’re 5’6 and 280 lbs, and you have a BMI of 46 if you’re 5’6 and 285 lbs.
5’6 290 lbs
Someone who is 5’6 and 290 pounds has a morbidly obese BMI of 46.8. It’s a similar story for those who are 5’6 and 295 lbs because they have a BMI of 47.6.
5’6 300 lbs
If you’re 5’6 and 300 lbs, then your BMI is 48.4, which is considered severely obese and is actually around 18 BMI points higher than average for men and women.
Conclusion: How can a 5’6 person keep their weight healthy?
With so much junk food and so many sedentary activities around us, it can seem hard for 5’6 people to maintain a healthy body weight. So what can you do?
You don’t have to start leading the healthiest possible lifestyle tomorrow (although that would be great). You could just begin by cutting out junk food, which would go a long way to lowering your calorie intake and thereby reducing your excess body weight.
Similarly, there’s no need to become a daily gym-goer on day one. Yes, daily physical activity is advised by basically every single public health body in the world, but you can start small.
Walking burns calories, gets you outside, and boosts cardiovascular health. On top of that, you can do a variety of exercises nowadays from the comfort of your own home.
Round all of this off with a good night’s sleep, and you’re well on your way to lowering your body weight below the average weight for a 5’6 female and a 5’6 male.
References
- Munsters, M. J., & Saris, W. H. (2014). Body weight regulation and obesity: dietary strategies to improve the metabolic profile. Annual review of food science and technology, 5, 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-030212-182557
- Donnelly, L. (2023, January 31). How the typical British diet is fuelling the risk of cancer. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/31/how-typical-british-diet-fuelling-risk-cancer/
- Kirby, J. (2023, January 31). Eating junk food may increase risk of cancer, study finds. Express.co.uk. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1728940/junk-food-diet-cancer-death