The ideal Indian man is now five kg heavier and the ideal woman weighs 10 kg more than their ancestors in the pre-Independence era.
The Centre has fixed the weight of the Indian “reference man” at 60 kg and the Indian “reference woman” at 55 kg. These figures will now be taken as the standard weight for Indian adults. The earlier values, fixed before Independence, were 55 kg (men) and 45 kg (women).
These new anthropometric values were suggested by an expert committee on daily recommended dietary allowance appointed by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The ideal or reference man is between 18 and 29, weighs 60 kg, is 1.73 metres tall and a body mass index of 20.3. He is free from disease and physically fit for active work.
The reference woman is between 18 and 29, weighs 55 kg, is 1.61 metres tall and has a body mass index of 21.2. She should be non-lactating, not pregnant and fit for active work.
Based on these values, the total calorie intake for an Indian man has been fixed at 2,320 kilo calories if he leads a sedentary life. For those with moderate or heavy work, it should be 2,730 kilo calories and 3,490 kilo calories respectively. The corresponding figures for women are 1,900 kcal, 2,230 kcal and 2,850 kcal. The ideal man (or woman) should work for eight hours, sleep eight hours, spend 4-6 hours sitting or moving about and two hours in walking/active recreation or household duties.