Ideal Weight Calculator
Healthy weight range for your height
How Ideal Weight Is Determined
There is no single "ideal weight" for any given height. This calculator uses multiple scientifically-developed formulas to provide a range. Each formula was developed through different research studies and may give slightly different results. The average of these formulas provides a reasonable target range.
Formulas Used
The Devine formula (1974) is the most widely used in clinical settings for drug dosage calculations. The Hamwi formula (1964) is commonly used by dietitians. The Robinson formula (1983) is based on Metropolitan Life Insurance actuarial data. The BMI-based range uses the healthy BMI window of 18.5 to 24.9 to calculate the weight range for your height.
Factors Beyond Height and Gender
Ideal weight depends on many factors beyond height and gender, including body composition (muscle vs fat), bone density, age, fitness level, and overall health. Athletes and people with high muscle mass may weigh more than these estimates while being perfectly healthy. These formulas provide general guidelines, not absolute targets.
A Healthy Approach to Weight
Rather than fixating on a specific number, focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle with balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management. Your healthcare provider can help determine what weight range is healthiest for your individual circumstances, considering your medical history and overall health profile.
Important health note
This calculator is for general information and self-checking only. It should not be used as a diagnosis, treatment plan, or replacement for advice from a qualified doctor, dietitian, trainer, or other healthcare professional. If you are pregnant, managing a medical condition, taking medication, recovering from illness, or making a major diet or exercise change, please speak with a professional before acting on the result.
Ideal Weight Calculator: practical guide
The Ideal Weight Calculator is built for people who want a fast answer without losing context. It keeps the calculation simple, shows the result clearly, and helps you understand what the number means before you use it in a real decision.
Conversion tools help translate values between measurement systems quickly. They are especially useful when comparing products, recipes, travel details, technical values, or international information.
What is the best way to use the Ideal Weight Calculator?
Enter the values carefully, review the units, and use the result as a reliable reference point. The Ideal Weight Calculator is most useful when you compare scenarios or repeat the calculation with consistent inputs.
Is the Ideal Weight Calculator accurate?
The calculator follows standard calculation logic, but accuracy depends on the values you enter and the assumptions behind the formula. For important health decisions, use it as guidance and verify the result with a trusted source.
What is ideal body weight?
Ideal body weight (IBW) is a calculated estimate of the body weight associated with the lowest risk of weight-related health complications for a person of a given height. It is not a target for appearance — it is a clinical baseline used in medicine for dosing medications, assessing nutritional status, and evaluating weight-related health risk. Multiple formulas exist for estimating IBW, each derived from different population studies and statistical methods.
The four main ideal weight formulas
1. Devine formula (1974) — most widely used clinically:
- Men: IBW (kg) = 50 + 2.3 × (Height in inches – 60)
- Women: IBW (kg) = 45.5 + 2.3 × (Height in inches – 60)
- Example — Man 175 cm (5'9"): IBW = 50 + 2.3 × 9 = 50 + 20.7 = 70.7 kg
2. Robinson formula (1983):
- Men: IBW (kg) = 52 + 1.9 × (Height in inches – 60)
- Women: IBW (kg) = 49 + 1.7 × (Height in inches – 60)
3. Miller formula (1983):
- Men: IBW (kg) = 56.2 + 1.41 × (Height in inches – 60)
- Women: IBW (kg) = 53.1 + 1.36 × (Height in inches – 60)
4. Hamwi formula (1964):
- Men: IBW (kg) = 48.0 + 2.7 × (Height in inches – 60)
- Women: IBW (kg) = 45.4 + 2.25 × (Height in inches – 60)
These formulas typically produce results within 2–5 kg of each other for the same height. iCalcApp displays results from multiple formulas so you can see the range.
Limitations of ideal weight formulas
All IBW formulas share the same fundamental limitation — they do not account for body composition. A muscular person weighing significantly more than their calculated IBW may be in excellent health. A sedentary person at or below their IBW may have high body fat percentage (normal weight obesity). IBW is therefore best used as a clinical reference range, not as a precise personal target.
Additional limitations: most formulas were derived from predominantly Western, European-ancestry populations and may not accurately reflect optimal weight for South and East Asian populations, where metabolic risk begins at lower BMI values.
Healthy weight ranges for global adults
For South Asian populations including Indians, health authorities often recommend applying the Asia-Pacific BMI thresholds rather than the global WHO thresholds:
- Underweight: BMI below 18.5
- Normal: BMI 18.5–22.9
- Overweight: BMI 23–24.9
- Obesity: BMI 25 and above
This means an global man at 170 cm with a BMI of 24 (weight 69.4 kg) is classified as overweight by Asia-Pacific thresholds, while the same BMI is "normal" by WHO global thresholds.
Factors that influence your personal healthy weight range
- Frame size: People with larger bone structures (wrists and ankles) can carry more weight at the same height without elevated risk
- Muscle mass: Athletes and those who resistance train regularly may be above IBW purely from lean tissue
- Age: For older adults (65+), some research supports a slightly higher BMI (22–27) as protective
- Gender: Women carry proportionally more essential fat, which affects what constitutes a healthy weight range
Frequently asked questions about ideal weight
Is ideal weight the same as healthy weight? Not exactly. Ideal weight formulas give a single number derived from height. Healthy weight is better expressed as a BMI range (18.5–22.9 for global adults) combined with waist circumference within healthy limits and good body composition.
Should I aim for my calculated ideal weight? Not necessarily. If your current weight is above IBW but you have good fitness, low waist circumference, and healthy blood markers, the IBW formula may be targeting a weight that is unnecessarily low. Conversely, if you are at IBW but carry excess abdominal fat, the formula may underestimate your risk. Use IBW alongside BMI and body fat percentage for a complete picture.
How is ideal weight used in medicine? Clinically, IBW is used to calculate drug doses (particularly antibiotics and chemotherapy agents dosed by body weight), assess nutritional status in hospitalised patients, set targets in obesity treatment programmes, and determine respiratory parameters for ventilated patients.