Ideal Weight Calculator

See what the four classic "ideal body weight" formulas give for your height, next to the weight range that matches a healthy BMI. They were never meant as personal goals, and this page explains why.

The equations were built from data on biological sex.

Range across the four formulas
125 lb to 132 lb
Healthy BMI range (18.5 to 24.9)
111 lb to 150 lb
Hamwi (1964)
125 lb
Devine (1974)
126 lb
Robinson (1983)
127 lb
Miller (1983)
132 lb
  • These formulas were designed for clinical uses such as medication dosing, not as personal weight goals. They ignore frame size, muscle, age and body composition.
  • An estimate for information only, not medical advice.

Each formula at your height

MethodWomenResult
Hamwi (1964)45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per inch over 5 ft125 lb
Devine (1974)45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 ft126 lb
Robinson (1983)49 kg + 1.7 kg per inch over 5 ft127 lb
Miller (1983)53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5 ft132 lb
Healthy BMI rangeBMI 18.5 to 24.9 × height (m)²111 lb to 150 lb

Where these formulas come from

The idea of an "ideal" weight goes back to height-weight tables. Because weight in those tables was linked to mortality, the weights with the best outcomes came to be called desirable or ideal. The formulas boil the tables down to a simple rule: a base weight at 5 feet plus a fixed amount for every inch above it.

Hamwi (1964) published one such rule. Devine (1974) published the version that was adopted for calculating doses of certain medicines. Robinson and Miller (both 1983) tried to improve on it with regression analyses of height-weight data and ended up with similar equations. A 2000 review of their origins found the equations are similar because the tables behind them broadly agree, and concluded that any of them may be used to estimate ideal body weight in that clinical sense.

Why they shouldn't be your goal weight

The formulas use only height and sex. They know nothing about your muscle, bone structure, age or where you carry fat, and they produce a single number where real healthy weights span a wide range. At 5 ft 5 in, the four formulas fall within about 7 lb of each other, while the healthy BMI range spans nearly 40 lb.

That is why this page shows the BMI range alongside them. The BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 is the screening range the CDC uses for adults, and it is a more reasonable reference band. But BMI has its own blind spots, especially for muscular people, older adults and some ethnic groups.

A better way to think about it

If you're setting a target, think about what you can maintain and what improves your health markers (blood pressure, blood sugar, waist size, fitness), not a number from decades-old tables.

Treat the results as a rough reference, and talk to a clinician if you're unsure what range is right for you, especially if you are pregnant, an older adult, or managing a health condition.

The formulas (kg)

Hamwi (1964): men 48 + 2.7 per inch over 5 ft; women 45.5 + 2.2Devine (1974): men 50 + 2.3 per inch over 5 ft; women 45.5 + 2.3Robinson (1983): men 52 + 1.9 per inch over 5 ft; women 49 + 1.7Miller (1983): men 56.2 + 1.41 per inch over 5 ft; women 53.1 + 1.36
  • Inches over 5 ft = height in inches − 60 (height in cm ÷ 2.54 − 60)
  • Results in kg; multiply by 2.2046 for pounds

Example

  1. A woman 5 ft 5 in tall, which is 5 inches over 5 feet.
  2. Hamwi: 45.5 + 2.2 × 5 = 56.5 kg (125 lb). Devine: 45.5 + 2.3 × 5 = 57.0 kg (126 lb).
  3. Robinson: 49 + 1.7 × 5 = 57.5 kg (127 lb). Miller: 53.1 + 1.36 × 5 = 59.9 kg (132 lb).
  4. So the formulas range from 125 to 132 lb, while a healthy BMI at 5 ft 5 in covers about 111 to 150 lb.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ideal weight for a 5 ft 5 in woman?

The four classic formulas give 125 to 132 lb, and the healthy BMI range at that height is about 111 to 150 lb. Any weight in the BMI range can be healthy depending on build and other factors.

Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?

None is accurate for an individual in a health sense. They were derived from similar height-weight tables and give similar answers. Devine's is the best known, because it was adopted for calculating doses of some medicines.

Why is the BMI range so much wider than the formulas?

The formulas give one point estimate, while the BMI range covers all weights linked to a healthy BMI at your height. People of the same height differ in frame and muscle, so a range is more realistic.

Do these formulas work for people under 5 feet?

Not well. They all start at 5 ft and add weight per inch above it; below 5 ft, calculators subtract weight per inch, which stretches the formulas beyond what they were built for.

What is the ideal weight for a 5 ft 10 in man?

The formulas give 155 lb (Miller) to 165 lb (Hamwi), with Robinson at 157 lb and Devine at 161 lb. The healthy BMI range at 5 ft 10 in is about 129 to 174 lb.

Sources

Last reviewed for 2026. How we calculate.