What is ideal body weight?
Ideal body weight (IBW) is a weight worked out from height and sex by a formula. The formulas come from drug dosing, where some doses are sized to IBW, and they trace back to life-insurance height and weight tables rather than to evidence about what weight is healthy. This ideal weight calculator runs four of them and shows their average and spread; the average is our choice, not a published method.
So treat the result as an illustration, not a target. For an adult, the official screening measure is BMI, and CDC's healthy range at your height is shown beside the formulas. Factors like muscle mass, frame size, age, and body fat distribution all influence what a truly healthy weight is for you individually.
The 4 ideal weight formulas
Each formula is a base weight at 5 feet (60 inches) plus a fixed amount for every inch above it. Below 5 feet this calculator holds each at its base weight, since the formulas were written for taller adults:
Devine Formula (1974)
Male: 50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5' | Female: 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5'
Published in 1974 in a paper on gentamicin dosing; a 2000 review traces the use of IBW in drug dosing to these equations.
Devine BJ, Drug Intell Clin Pharm 1974;8:650-655
Robinson Formula (1983)
Male: 51.65 kg + 1.85 kg per inch over 5' | Female: 48.67 kg + 1.65 kg per inch over 5'
Refit in 1983 to the Metropolitan Life Insurance height and weight tables. Often quoted rounded to 52 + 1.9 and 49 + 1.7; this calculator uses the coefficients printed in the paper.
Robinson JD et al., Am J Hosp Pharm 1983;40:1016-1019
Miller Formula (1983)
Male: 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch over 5' | Female: 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5'
Starts highest at 5 feet (124 lb for a man) and rises slowest, so it gives the lowest figure of the four for tall people.
Miller DR et al., Am J Hosp Pharm 1983;40:1622,1625
Hamwi Formula (1964)
Male: 106 lb + 6 lb per inch over 5' | Female: 100 lb + 5 lb per inch over 5'
The oldest of the four, a 1964 rule in pounds that also takes 10% off for a small frame and adds 10% for a large one. It rises fastest per inch for men.
Hamwi GJ, in Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Treatment, ADA 1964
Ideal weight by height (full table)
This table shows, for every height from 4'10" to 6'6", the lowest and highest of the four formulas for men and for women, and CDC's healthy BMI range (18.5 to under 25) in whole pounds, which is the same for both sexes. Wondering what the normal weight for a 6'2 male is? Find it below, along with the weight for a 5'2 woman and every other height.
| Height | Male (lbs) | Female (lbs) | CDC healthy BMI (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4'10" | 106–124 | 100–117 | 89–119 |
| 4'11" | 106–124 | 100–117 | 92–123 |
| 5'0" | 106–124 | 100–117 | 95–128 |
| 5'1" | 112–127 | 105–120 | 98–132 |
| 5'2" | 118–130 | 110–123 | 102–136 |
| 5'3" | 124–133 | 115–126 | 105–141 |
| 5'4" | 130–136 | 120–129 | 108–145 |
| 5'5" | 134–139 | 125–132 | 112–150 |
| 5'6" | 138–143 | 129–135 | 115–154 |
| 5'7" | 142–148 | 133–138 | 119–159 |
| 5'8" | 146–154 | 136–141 | 122–164 |
| 5'9" | 151–160 | 140–146 | 126–169 |
| 5'10" | 155–166 | 144–151 | 129–174 |
| 5'11" | 158–172 | 147–156 | 133–179 |
| 6'0" | 161–178 | 151–161 | 137–184 |
| 6'1" | 164–184 | 155–166 | 141–189 |
| 6'2" | 167–190 | 158–171 | 145–194 |
| 6'3" | 171–196 | 162–176 | 149–200 |
| 6'4" | 174–202 | 165–181 | 152–205 |
| 6'5" | 177–208 | 168–187 | 157–210 |
| 6'6" | 180–214 | 171–192 | 161–216 |
For a weight for a 5'2 woman, the formulas give 110–123 lbs, while CDC's healthy BMI range is 102–136 lbs. For a 5'3 female weight: formulas 115–126 lbs, healthy BMI range 105–141 lbs. Appropriate weight for 5'6: the formulas give 138–143 lbs for a man and 129–135 lbs for a woman; the healthy BMI range is 115–154 lbs for both.
For a 5'9 male weight, the formulas give 151–160 lbs (healthy BMI range 126–169). Healthy weight for a 5'10 male: CDC's BMI range is 129–174 lbs; the formulas give 155–166. 5'11 male weight: formulas 158–172 lbs, healthy BMI range 133–179.
Weight for a 6'1 male: formulas 164–184 lbs, healthy BMI range 141–189. Normal weight for a 6'2 male: CDC's healthy BMI range is 145–194 lbs, and 6'2 ideal weight male figures from the formulas run 167–190 lbs. Weight for a 6'3 male: formulas 171–196 lbs, healthy BMI range 149–200.
Weight and body fat
Neither the formulas nor BMI measure body fat. Two people of the same height and weight can carry very different amounts of fat and muscle, which is why a muscular person can sit above both numbers and still be healthy.
There is no official U.S. standard for healthy body-fat percentages; the charts that circulate come from fitness organisations, not health agencies. Our body fat calculator estimates it from tape measurements.
BMI vs. ideal weight
BMI
A ratio of weight to height (weight ÷ height²). Gives you a CDC category: underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obesity. Same formula and categories for men and women. The official screening measure, though it doesn't account for body composition.
Ideal Weight
Formulas that give a single weight in pounds or kg, with separate lines for men and women. Four formulas give a spread rather than one number. Made for drug dosing, not as a health target.
Which to use: For your own weight, go by CDC's healthy BMI range; check your BMI for your category. The formula figures show where one weight within or near that range sits, not a goal you need to hit.
Frame size impact
Hamwi's 1964 rule adjusts for frame size by 10% either way. This calculator applies the same adjustment to all four formulas when you pick a frame, which is our convention, not part of Devine, Robinson or Miller:
| Frame Size | Adjustment | How to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Small | −10% | Thumb & middle finger overlap around wrist |
| Medium | No adjustment | Thumb & middle finger just touch |
| Large | +10% | Thumb & middle finger don't touch |
Select your frame size in the calculator to see your adjusted ideal weight. The wrist test is a rough rule of thumb, not a clinical measurement.
Limitations
- Designed for adults only. These formulas are not appropriate for children or adolescents.
- Don't account for muscle mass. Athletes and bodybuilders will exceed ideal weight while being very healthy.
- Based on old insurance tables. The lines were fitted to life-insurance height and weight tables, not to health outcomes, and they differ from each other by several pounds at the same height.
- Made for drug dosing. Not for setting fitness or weight-loss goals.
- Less accurate at extremes. Very short or very tall individuals may find the estimates less reliable.
FAQs
What is ideal body weight?
"Ideal body weight" (IBW) is the output of a height-based formula used to size doses of some drugs. The numbers trace back to life-insurance height and weight tables, not to studies of what weight is healthiest, so they are not a health goal. For screening an adult's weight, CDC uses BMI, and its healthy range is 18.5 to under 25.
How do you calculate ideal weight?
Take your height in inches, subtract 60, and multiply what is left by the formula's per-inch amount, then add its base weight. With Devine's version a man starts at 50 kg and a woman at 45.5 kg, and both add 2.3 kg per inch. The calculator runs all four formulas, then reports their average and the lowest-to-highest spread; averaging them is our choice, not a published method.
Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?
None is more "accurate" in a health sense, since none was built to predict health. A 1983 paper by Robinson and colleagues refit the line to Metropolitan Life Insurance tables, and a 2000 review in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy found the equations similar enough that any one can serve for dosing. They still differ: for a man of 6'4" Miller gives 174 lb and Hamwi 202 lb.
Does frame size affect ideal weight?
In Hamwi's original rule, yes: he subtracted 10% for a small frame and added 10% for a large one. This calculator applies that same 10% to all four formulas when you choose a frame, which is a convention rather than part of Devine, Robinson or Miller. The wrist-circle test people use to judge frame is a rough rule of thumb, not a clinical measurement.
What is the ideal weight for a 5'10 male?
At 5'10" (70 inches) the formulas give a man: Devine 161 lb, Robinson 155 lb, Miller 155 lb and Hamwi 166 lb, an average near 159 lb. CDC's healthy BMI range is wider: every weight from 129–174 lb at that height has a BMI of 18.5 to under 25.
What is a healthy weight for a 5'6 female?
CDC's healthy BMI band at 5'6" covers 115–154 lb, and it is the same for women and men. The four dosing formulas cluster much more tightly for a woman of that height, at 129–135 lb, which is why they should not be read as the only healthy weight.
What is the difference between ideal weight and BMI?
An IBW formula turns height and sex into one weight. BMI goes the other way: it takes the weight you have now and places it in a CDC category (underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obesity). BMI is the measure public-health agencies use to screen weight; neither one measures body fat or where it sits.
Does age affect ideal weight?
Age is not an input to any of the four formulas. CDC's adult BMI categories also ignore it: they apply from age 20 regardless of age or sex, while children and teens are assessed with BMI-for-age percentiles instead. If you are older and worried about weight or muscle loss, a doctor can judge that better than either number.
Is BMI or ideal weight better?
They answer different questions. BMI, with CDC's categories, is the official screening measure for adults. The IBW formulas give a single weight from drug-dosing practice. For your own health, the BMI range is the better guide, and a clinician can take account of muscle, build and medical history, which neither can.
How do I reach my ideal weight?
CDC notes that people who lose weight gradually and steadily, about 1 to 2 pounds a week, are more likely to keep it off than people who lose it faster. Aim for the healthy BMI range rather than a formula's single figure, and talk to a healthcare provider before starting a weight-loss plan, especially if you have a medical condition.