Find your ideal weight range based on your height, gender, and frame size using multiple validated formulas.
These are estimates. Healthy weight varies by muscle mass, bone density, and body composition.
"Ideal weight" calculators use formulas developed decades ago, primarily for medical and pharmaceutical dosing purposes, that estimate a weight range based on height and sex. While useful as a general reference point, these formulas have significant limitations and shouldn't be treated as a definitive target for everyone.
This calculator presents results from several established formulas, including the Hamwi formula, the Devine formula (widely used in clinical medication dosing), the Robinson formula, and the Miller formula. Each was developed using different population data and methodologies, which is why they often produce somewhat different results for the same height. Presenting a range from multiple formulas, rather than a single number, better reflects the genuine uncertainty involved.
These formulas were developed primarily using data from specific populations decades ago and don't account for individual differences in body composition, frame size, muscle mass, or ethnicity. A muscular athlete and a sedentary individual of the same height might have very different healthy weights, but these formulas would suggest the same target for both. They also don't account for the fact that body composition (muscle vs. fat) matters more for health than weight alone.
Many health professionals now emphasize other markers alongside or instead of a single ideal weight number: waist circumference (a strong indicator of visceral fat and associated health risks), body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, and overall fitness markers like cardiovascular endurance and strength. The concept of a healthy weight range is generally more useful than a single target number, and that range can be quite wide for any given height.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a different calculation based purely on height and weight, used as a population-level screening tool. Like ideal weight formulas, BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat mass and has known limitations for very muscular individuals, older adults, and certain ethnic groups, who may have different health risk profiles at the same BMI. Our BMI calculator provides this related but distinct measure.
Should I aim for the exact number this calculator gives me? Treat it as one reference point among several, not a strict target. Many people are perfectly healthy at weights somewhat above or below these formula-based estimates, particularly if they have more muscle mass than average.
Why do the different formulas give different results? Each formula was developed using different reference populations and statistical methods during different time periods, which naturally produces some variation. This is normal and expected.
What should I actually focus on instead of a number on a formula? Many health professionals suggest focusing on sustainable healthy habits — regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep — and monitoring how you feel, your energy levels, and standard health markers like blood pressure and blood sugar, rather than fixating on a specific weight target.