About the ideal weight calculator
No single number is the right weight for everybody, but a few classic formulas give a useful reference point. The Hamwi (1964), Devine (1974), Robinson (1983) and Miller (1983) formulas were all created to estimate healthy body weight from height, and each adds a fixed amount for every inch above five feet.
The calculator shows each formula separately, their average, and the weight range that corresponds to a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 for your height. The Hamwi tab adds the traditional adjustment of minus 10 percent for a small frame and plus 10 percent for a large frame.
These formulas ignore age, muscle mass and body shape, and they were designed for adults of average build. Treat the result as a range to talk through with a doctor rather than a target you must hit.
Formula
- Men, per inch above 5 ft: Robinson 52 kg + 1.9 kg; Miller 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg; Devine 50 kg + 2.3 kg; Hamwi 106 lb + 6 lb
- Women, per inch above 5 ft: Robinson 49 kg + 1.7 kg; Miller 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg; Devine 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg; Hamwi 100 lb + 5 lb
- Healthy BMI range = 18.5 to 24.9 × height (m)²
Example
For a man who is 5 ft 10 in tall: Robinson gives 71.0 kg, Miller 70.3 kg, Devine 73.0 kg and Hamwi 75.3 kg (166 lb). The average is 72.4 kg, or about 159.6 lb.