Ideal Weight Calculator

"Ideal body weight" has no single definition. Four formulas are in common use — Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi — and they were developed for different purposes, from drug dosing to insurance tables. This calculator applies all four to your height and sex and places them beside the healthy weight range implied by a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, so you can see the spread rather than one authoritative number.

The Devine formula, published in 1974 to standardise drug dosing, is the most widely used and is the basis for most clinical ideal-weight references. Robinson, Miller and Hamwi are variants derived from different populations and, for anyone of average height, they usually agree within a few pounds. For very tall or very short people they diverge more, which is a useful reminder that they are statistical rules rather than personalised targets.

None of them accounts for frame size, muscle mass or age, and all of them are linear approximations. A large-framed person at a given height may be perfectly healthy several pounds above the formula's answer, while a small-framed person may be healthier below it. The BMI range shown alongside is a further cross-check, and it is deliberately broad.

Treat the output as a reference range rather than a target to hit exactly. Weight is one input into health, alongside blood pressure, blood lipids, fitness, sleep and diet quality. If you want a personalised target, a clinician can combine these formulas with your body composition and medical history, which is something no single equation can do.

This ideal weight calculator is an educational comparison of four historical formulas. It is not medical advice and does not account for body composition, frame, age or health status. Discuss personal weight goals with a qualified clinician.