Ideal Weight Calculator
Four historic "ideal body weight" formulas side by side, shown as a range. These formulas were developed for medication dosing, not as health targets. Healthy weights vary by build, muscle mass, age, and individual goals. Use this as a reference range, not a weight-loss prescription.
Ideal Weight Range
Individual Formulas
What "ideal weight" formulas actually are
The four historic formulas were developed in clinical medicine to standardize medication dosing for hospitalized patients — not to define what a healthy person should weigh. Devine (1974) was designed for aminoglycoside antibiotic dosing. Hamwi (1964) came from a similar clinical context. All four use height as the sole input and produce a single “ideal body weight” number that doesn't account for frame size, muscle mass, or body composition.
Because they only use height, these formulas systematically underestimate healthy weight for muscular people and overestimate for people with lower muscle mass. A 6'0" competitive powerlifter and a 6'0" sedentary office worker will get the same “ideal weight” from any of these formulas, despite having wildly different healthy weight ranges.
Better individual weight references
Rather than a single “ideal” number: use body fat percentage alongside BMI for a broader picture. Waist-to-height ratio (waist ÷ height, target < 0.5) is another simple metric that outperforms BMI for cardiovascular risk. For actual clinical assessment, DEXA scans measure body composition directly.
Formula history
Devine 1974 (male: 50 + 2.3 × in over 5ft; female: 45.5 + 2.3 × in over 5ft). Robinson 1983 (male: 52 + 1.9×; female: 49 + 1.7×). Miller 1983 (male: 56.2 + 1.41×; female: 53.1 + 1.36×). Hamwi 1964 (male: 48 + 2.7×; female: 45.5 + 2.2×). All in kilograms; convert to lb by multiplying by 2.2046.