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Ideal Weight Calculator – Healthy Weight for Your Height

Find a healthy weight range for your height and see what the four classic ideal-body-weight formulas — Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi — suggest. Enter your height in centimetres or feet and inches; results show in kilograms or pounds.

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How to use the ideal weight calculator

  1. Choose metric or US units.
  2. Select your sex.
  3. Enter your height.

You’ll see the healthy weight range from a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, the average of the four formulas, and a table showing each formula’s ideal weight.

The ideal body weight formulas

Each formula starts with a base weight at 5 feet (152.4 cm) and adds a fixed amount for every inch above that:

FormulaMenWomen
Devine (1974)50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch
Robinson (1983)52 kg + 1.9 kg per inch49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch
Miller (1983)56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch
Hamwi (1964)48 kg + 2.7 kg per inch45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per inch

The healthy BMI range uses:

Weight = BMI × height (m)²

with BMI from 18.5 to 24.9.

Worked example

A man who is 175 cm (about 5 ft 9 in) tall:

  • Devine: 70.5 kg
  • Robinson: 68.9 kg
  • Miller: 68.7 kg
  • Hamwi: 72.0 kg
  • Healthy BMI range: 56.7 to 76.3 kg

A woman who is 165 cm (about 5 ft 5 in): Devine 56.9 kg, Robinson 57.4 kg, Miller 59.8 kg, Hamwi 56.4 kg, and a healthy range of 50.4 to 67.8 kg.

Why a range is more useful than one number

A single “ideal” figure ignores muscle, bone structure, age and where you carry fat. Two people of the same height can both be healthy at weights 10 kg apart. Use the range as a guide, and pay attention to how you feel, your fitness, your waist size and the health checks your doctor recommends.

Where these formulas come from

Ideal body weight formulas were developed for medicine — for example to calculate doses of some drugs or settings on a ventilator — not as weight-loss goals. They remain popular because they are simple, but health professionals today usually look at BMI, waist circumference and body composition together.

Next steps

Check your BMI, estimate your body fat, or work out the calories you need to reach a healthy weight with the calorie calculator. This is general information, not medical advice — see our disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

What is my ideal weight for my height?

For a man who is 175 cm (5 ft 9 in), the healthy BMI range is about 56.7 to 76.3 kg (125 to 168 lb), and the four formulas give 68.7 to 72 kg. For a woman who is 165 cm (5 ft 5 in), the healthy range is about 50.4 to 67.8 kg and the formulas give 56.4 to 59.8 kg.

Which ideal weight formula is best?

None is best for everyone. They were created for working out medicine doses, not as personal targets. The healthy BMI range is a broader, more practical guide, and your own health markers matter more than any single number.

Why do the formulas give different numbers?

Each one was fitted to different data at a different time. Devine (1974) is the most widely used in medicine; Robinson and Miller (1983) were later updates; Hamwi (1964) is an older rule of thumb.

Do these formulas work for short people?

They are based on heights above 5 feet (152.4 cm). For shorter adults, the calculator uses the 5-foot base value, which may be too high; the BMI range is a better guide.

Does frame size matter?

Yes. Some versions add or subtract 10% for large or small frames. People with more muscle can be healthy above the formula weight.

Should children use this calculator?

No. Children and teenagers are still growing, and their healthy weight is judged with age-specific growth charts from a doctor.

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