La gran mayoría de los especialistas en nutrición consideran a la "complexión" como parámetro fundamental: el diámetro de los hombros, muy variable según cada persona, indica si es pequeña, mediana o grande.
Dentro de cada complexión se establece una gama, basada en el perímetro de la muñeca:
El perímetro de la muñeca -que está cubierta por escasa grasa y músculo- indica el espesor del esqueleto en general (esqueleto ligero, mediano o pesado).
El sexo es otro factor determinante del peso: el hombre tiene mayor desarrollo de masa ósea y muscular, y el músculo es mucho más pesado que el tejido graso. Es por ello que se han diseñado tablas de pesos teóricos para hombres y tablas para mujeres.
El peso ideal de una persona no es siempre coincidente con su peso deseable, por lo que los valores indicados deben considerarse como referencia. Esto ocurre porque el ideal no contempla su edad actual, periodo que haya permanecido con sobrepeso, hijos que haya tenido (en el caso de las mujeres) y otros factores adicionales.
| Mujeres | Hombres | ||||||||||
Contextura | Pequeña | Mediana | Grande | Pequeño | Mediano | Grande | ||||||
Altura | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. |
1.5 | 45.0 | 47.2 | 46.1 | 50.6 | 47.2 | 52.9 | 45.0 | 50.2 | 48.4 | 55.4 | 50.6 | 56.2 |
1.52 | 46.2 | 48.5 | 47.4 | 52.0 | 48.5 | 54.3 | 46.2 | 51.5 | 49.7 | 56.9 | 52.0 | 57.8 |
1.54 | 47.4 | 49.8 | 48.6 | 53.4 | 49.8 | 55.7 | 47.4 | 52.9 | 51.0 | 58.4 | 53.4 | 59.3 |
1.56 | 48.7 | 51.1 | 49.9 | 54.8 | 51.1 | 57.2 | 48.7 | 54.3 | 52.3 | 59.9 | 54.8 | 60.8 |
1.58 | 49.9 | 52.4 | 51.2 | 56.2 | 52.4 | 58.7 | 49.9 | 55.7 | 53.7 | 61.5 | 56.2 | 62.4 |
1.6 | 51.2 | 53.8 | 52.5 | 57.6 | 53.8 | 60.2 | 51.2 | 57.1 | 55.0 | 63.0 | 57.6 | 64.0 |
1.62 | 52.5 | 55.1 | 53.8 | 59.0 | 55.1 | 61.7 | 52.5 | 58.5 | 56.4 | 64.6 | 59.0 | 65.6 |
1.64 | 53.8 | 56.5 | 55.1 | 60.5 | 56.5 | 63.2 | 53.8 | 60.0 | 57.8 | 66.2 | 60.5 | 67.2 |
1.66 | 55.1 | 57.9 | 56.5 | 62.0 | 57.9 | 64.8 | 55.1 | 61.4 | 59.2 | 67.8 | 62.0 | 68.9 |
1.68 | 56.4 | 59.3 | 57.9 | 63.5 | 59.3 | 66.3 | 56.4 | 62.9 | 60.7 | 69.5 | 63.5 | 70.6 |
1.7 | 57.8 | 60.7 | 59.2 | 65.0 | 60.7 | 67.9 | 57.8 | 64.4 | 62.1 | 71.2 | 65.0 | 72.3 |
1.72 | 59.2 | 62.1 | 60.6 | 66.6 | 62.1 | 69.5 | 59.2 | 66.0 | 63.6 | 72.8 | 66.6 | 74.0 |
1.74 | 60.6 | 63.6 | 62.1 | 68.1 | 63.6 | 71.1 | 60.6 | 67.5 | 65.1 | 74.5 | 68.1 | 75.7 |
1.76 | 62.0 | 65.0 | 63.5 | 69.7 | 65.0 | 72.8 | 62.0 | 69.1 | 66.6 | 76.3 | 69.7 | 77.4 |
1.78 | 63.4 | 66.5 | 65.0 | 71.3 | 66.5 | 74.5 | 63.4 | 70.7 | 68.1 | 78.0 | 71.3 | 79.2 |
1.8 | 64.8 | 68.0 | 66.4 | 72.9 | 68.0 | 76.1 | 64.8 | 72.3 | 69.7 | 79.8 | 72.9 | 81.0 |
1.82 | 66.2 | 69.6 | 67.9 | 74.5 | 69.6 | 77.8 | 66.2 | 73.9 | 71.2 | 81.6 | 74.5 | 82.8 |
1.84 | 67.7 | 71.1 | 69.4 | 76.2 | 71.1 | 79.6 | 67.7 | 75.5 | 72.8 | 83.4 | 76.2 | 84.6 |
1.86 | 69.2 | 72.7 | 70.9 | 77.8 | 72.7 | 81.3 | 69.2 | 77.1 | 74.4 | 85.2 | 77.8 | 86.5 |
1.88 | 70.7 | 74.2 | 72.5 | 79.5 | 74.2 | 83.1 | 70.7 | 78.8 | 76.0 | 87.0 | 79.5 | 88.4 |
1.9 | 72.2 | 75.8 | 74.0 | 81.2 | 75.8 | 84.8 | 72.2 | 80.5 | 77.6 | 88.9 | 81.2 | 90.3 |
1.92 | 73.7 | 77.4 | 75.6 | 82.9 | 77.4 | 86.6 | 73.7 | 82.2 | 79.3 | 90.8 | 82.9 | 92.2 |
1.94 | 75.3 | 79.0 | 77.2 | 84.7 | 79.0 | 88.4 | 75.3 | 83.9 | 80.9 | 92.7 | 84.7 | 94.1 |
1.96 | 76.8 | 80.7 | 78.8 | 86.4 | 80.7 | 90.3 | 76.8 | 85.7 | 82.6 | 94.6 | 86.4 | 96.0 |
1.98 | 78.4 | 82.3 | 80.4 | 88.2 | 82.3 | 92.1 | 78.4 | 87.4 | 84.3 | 96.5 | 88.2 | 98.0 |
2 | 80.0 | 84.0 | 82.0 | 90.0 | 84.0 | 94.0 | 80.0 | 89.2 | 86.0 | 98.5 | 90.0 | 100.0 |
2.02 | 81.6 | 85.7 | 83.6 | 91.8 | 85.7 | 95.9 | 81.6 | 91.0 | 87.7 | 100.5 | 91.8 | 102.0 |
2.04 | 83.2 | 87.4 | 85.3 | 93.6 | 87.4 | 97.8 | 83.2 | 92.8 | 89.5 | 102.5 | 93.6 | 104.0 |
2.06 | 84.9 | 89.1 | 87.0 | 95.5 | 89.1 | 99.7 | 84.9 | 94.6 | 91.2 | 104.5 | 95.5 | 106.1 |
2.08 | 86.5 | 90.9 | 88.7 | 97.3 | 90.9 | 101.7 | 86.5 | 96.5 | 93.0 | 106.5 | 97.3 | 108.2 |