Lifestyle
Food & Nutrition
FitnessSee your ideal weight range based on four medical formulas.
This tool is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional about results that concern you.
What Is Your Ideal Weight?
There is no single perfect weight for a given height, but doctors have used formulas for decades to estimate a sensible target. This calculator runs the four most established ones side by side: Devine (1974), Robinson (1983), Miller (1983), and Hamwi (1964). All four were originally developed for medication dosing and clinical use, and they remain the standard reference points today.
Because each formula weighs height slightly differently, you get a range rather than one number. That range is the honest answer. Alongside the formulas, the calculator shows the healthy BMI range for your height (a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9), which is what the CDC and WHO actually use to define healthy weight.
The Four Formulas
| Formula | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Devine | 50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft | 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft |
| Robinson | 52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch over 5 ft | 49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch over 5 ft |
| Miller | 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch over 5 ft | 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5 ft |
| Hamwi | 48 kg + 2.7 kg per inch over 5 ft | 45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per inch over 5 ft |
Keep the Number in Perspective
Frame size, muscle mass, and age all shift what a genuinely healthy weight looks like for you. A stocky, muscular person can be perfectly healthy above every formula’s estimate. Treat the result as a reference point, and combine it with your BMI and body fat percentage for a rounded view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ideal weight formula is the most accurate?
The Robinson formula matches modern population data slightly better for men, and Devine remains the most used in medicine overall. In practice the differences are small, which is why this calculator shows all four plus their average.
Does age affect ideal weight?
The formulas do not include age, and a healthy weight range changes little through adulthood. What does change is body composition: preserving muscle matters more after 40 than chasing a specific scale number.
Is ideal weight the same as healthy weight?
Not exactly. Healthy weight is a range (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), while formula results are single points inside or near that range. If a formula result and the BMI range disagree, trust the range.
What if I am far above the ideal range?
Set an interim goal instead of aiming for the formula number. Losing 5 to 10 percent of your current weight produces measurable improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, whatever the final target may be.
Sources
- The origin of the "ideal" body weight equations · PubMed (via Europe PMC)
- Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations · PubMed (via Europe PMC)
- Calculate Your BMI | NHLBI, NIH · NIH / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Body mass index: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia · MedlinePlus (NIH)
This calculator is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.