Ideal Weight Calculator: Find a Healthy Weight for Your Height

1. Select metric (cm and kg) or imperial (feet, inches and lbs) units.
2. Select your sex, as separate formulas apply to men and women.
3. Enter your height. Age can be left blank, as every formula here targets people aged 18 and over.
4. If you wish, add your current weight to compare it with your target.
5. Select Find My Ideal Weight to view and compare the results.

The result shows your Devine target, the Hamwi, Robinson and Miller figures, and a healthy BMI weight range. You can check your current BMI with our BMI calculator.

Ideal weight is an estimate of a healthy body weight for a particular height and sex. The concept is also described as target weight, healthy weight, or optimum weight.

No one number works for everyone. These formulas were originally developed to calculate medication doses, not to assess appearance. A healthy adult may weigh several kilograms above or below the calculated figure.

Every ideal body weight formula starts with a base weight for an adult who is exactly 5 feet (152 cm) tall. Then it adds a set amount for each extra inch of height. The calculation uses only height and sex.

Calculate ideal weight with the Devine formula

Take a man who is 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm), which is 10 inches above the base. The sum is 50 + (2.3 × 10) = 73 kg, or roughly 161 lbs.

Why do calculators differ?

The four equations came from separate research teams, working decades apart:

A 3 to 5 kg spread is expected, and the midpoint is a sensible reference.

Body mass index (BMI) is a height-to-weight ratio, found by dividing weight by height squared. In line with WHO guidelines, the CDC defines a healthy adult BMI as 18.5 to under 25. The result is a weight range, not one figure.

Current BMI can be checked with our BMI calculator.

A stricter range for South Asian adults

People of Pakistani, Indian, and other South Asian origin have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease at lower BMI levels. A WHO expert consultation recommended additional action points for Asian populations, with risk rising from a BMI of 23. For this group, aiming for the lower half of the healthy range is generally advisable. Our prediabetes guide explains the associated risks.

The height-weight chart below works as a healthy weight chart by height and age for adults. Weights are in kilograms.

The table shows body weight according to height. Adults do not need a separate weight chart by age.

For the same height, men are generally expected to weigh 10 to 20% more than women, for three reasons:

• Men typically have greater muscle mass, and muscle is denser than fat.
• Women generally have lower bone density.
• Men are taller on average.

Because of this, the formulas set the ideal weight for men from a base of 48 to 56 kg, and the ideal weight for women from 45.5 to 53 kg.

So what should I weigh? A weight chart according to height and age and a table of weight according to height and age in kg both rely on the same adult bands. To see where your body fat levels sit, try our body fat calculator.

Bone structure differs between adults of the same height. Frame size can be estimated by measuring wrist circumference just below the wrist bone.

A common clinical adjustment is to subtract about 10% from the formula result for a small frame and add about 10% for a large frame.

Two adults of the same height can still have quite different healthy weights, and these factors show why.

When you enter a current weight, the tool works as a goal weight calculator or target weight calculator and shows the gap between your current and target weight.

A safe rate of weight loss is 0.25 to 0.5 kg per week. At this pace, losing 8 kg takes roughly four to eight months.

Weight loss requires a modest calorie deficit. Our BMR calculator estimates daily calorie needs to support meal planning. Balanced nutrition and exercise together produce the most lasting results.

These formulas rely on height and sex alone. They do not consider activity level, muscle mass, physical disabilities, or medical history. A physically fit adult may sit above the calculated value and still be in good health. Healthy daily habits matter more than an exact figure.

If you want professional guidance on weight loss or weight gain but do not know where to start, you can book a consultation with Dr Muhammad Ibrahim. Your history and daily routine are reviewed, and a realistic target weight is agreed with you.

Some patients eat carefully for months with no change. Others gain weight alongside tiredness, bloating, or thyroid symptoms. Cases like these need a proper assessment, not another formula.