In the past there were many formulas which allowed calculating ideal weight, and all of them had a great success. But today, when obesity has become an epidemic, the approach to the concept of ideal weight changed, said dietician Vardanush Petrosyan.

Previously, according to the dietician, one of the most popular formulas for calculating the ideal weight was body mass index (BMI). It was also used to estimate, how high is the risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

But then the scientists found that if the fat is in the abdomen, it is particularly harmful to your health, so it is not sufficient to have BMI in the normal range,  you still need not to accumulate fat around your abdomen. Thus, some specialists started to use waist perimeter as an indicator of normal weight. It was believed that men's waist should not excess 92 cm, and women's - 82 cm.

Today's medicine states that there is no ideal weight, and in the presence of excess weight, which may be due to health problems, weight loss of 10% is already an improvement in the clinical condition of the patient.

«We never tell a patient with obesity of third degree, that his (her) ideal weight is, for example, N pounds, and (s)he should reach that weight. We just tell him (her), that (s)he has to lose 10 % of his (her) weight, » said the dietician.

So today, people who are obese or overweight have a significant offer to lose 10% of their weights for 6 months. When this goal is achieved, it will be necessary to evaluate the health of the patient and decide whether (s)he should lose another 10% or not.

«When losing weight it is very important to set a realistic target. If you put in front of you a complex goal and fail to achieve it, psychologically it will be very difficult, » noted the dietician.