The Ideal Weight Calculator computes ideal body weight (IBW) ranges based on height, gender, and age. The idea of finding the IBW using a formula has been sought after by many experts for a long time. Currently, there persist several popular formulas, and our Ideal Weight Calculator provides their results for side-to-side comparisons.
Tools to calculate a moderate weight range rely on factors such as age, height, and sex assigned at birth. However, everybody is different, and no single formula can determine a person’s ideal weight.
No one measure of body size can tell a person their exact health status or potential health risks. Eating a nutritious, balanced diet, exercising, and other lifestyle habits can support improved health regardless of a person’s weight.
There is some disagreement among medical experts about the usefulness of tools such as body mass index (BMI). These tools are not exact, and not everyone with excess weight will develop health issues.
However, some researchers believe people with obesity who have no other health conditions are still at increased risk for developing obesity-linked conditions, such as metabolic syndrome and cardio-vascular disease, in the long term.
People who want to learn more about their current health status, future risks, and ways to improve health can benefit from speaking with their doctor.
Read on to discover several tools that help estimate a person’s moderate weight range.
How to use the ideal weight calculator
The ideal weight calculator is a user-friendly tool designed to assess whether your current weight aligns with the ideal range based on sex and height. To effectively use the calculator, follow these steps:
- Select units of measurement: Choose your preferred units of measurement (metric or imperial) before entering values. This choice will impact how the calculator interprets your inputs throughout the process.
- Sex selection: Indicate your sex. Note that your sex input will be autosaved, eliminating the need to re-enter this information during subsequent visits.
- Height input: Enter your height in your preferred unit of measurement. Ensure that your input falls within a range of at least 153 cm (5 ft) tall and 2.72 m (8.9 ft), as calculations are only accurate for heights within this specified range. As with sex selection, your height input will be autosaved, allowing you to resume your assessment if you return to the calculator seamlessly.
- Weight input: Enter your current weight. Keep in mind that the minimum weight input is 15 kg (33 lb), and the maximum is 635 kg (1,400 lb). These limits ensure the accuracy of the calculations for a reasonable range of weight values.
- Results: After entering the information, the tool will calculate your ideal weight values according to different formulas presented in the healthy weight chart below your calculations.
What is the recommended weight for my height?
The following weight and height chart uses BMI tables from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source to provide a general guideline for categories of moderate (“normal”) weight, overweight, obesity, and severe obesity.
| Height | Moderate weight BMI 19–24 | Overweight BMI 25–29 | Obesity BMI 30–39 | Severe obesity BMI 40+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in (58 in) | 91–115 lb | 119–138 lb | 143–186 lb | 191–258 lb |
| 4 ft 11 in (59 in) | 94–119 lb | 124–143 lb | 148–193 lb | 198–267 lb |
| 5ft (60 in”) | 97–123 lb | 128–148 lb | 153–199 lb | 204–276 lb |
| 5 ft 1 in (61 in) | 100–127 lb | 132–153 lb | 158–206 lb | 211–285 lb |
| 5 ft 2 in (62 in) | 104–131 lb | 136–158 lb | 164–213 lb | 218–295 lb |
| 5 ft 3 in (63 in) | 107–135 lb | 141–163 lb | 169–220 lb | 225–304 lb |
| 5 ft 4 in (64 in) | 110–140 lb | 145–169 lb | 174–227 lb | 232–314 lb |
| 5 ft 5 in (65 in) | 114–144 lb | 150–174 lb | 180–234 lb | 240–324 lb |
| 5 ft 6 in (66 in) | 118–148 lb | 155–179 lb | 186–241 lb | 247–334 lb |
| 5 ft 7 in (67 in) | 121–153 lb | 159–185 lb | 191–249 lb | 255–344 lb |
| 5 ft 8 in (68 in) | 125–158 lb | 164–190 lb | 197–256 lb | 262–354 lb |
| 5 ft 9 in (69 in) | 128–162 lb | 169–196 lb | 203–263 lb | 270–365 lb |
| 5 ft 10 in (70 in) | 132–167 lb | 174–202 lb | 209–271 lb | 278–376 lb |
| 5 ft 11 in (71 in) | 136–172 lb | 179–208 lb | 215–279 lb | 286–386 lb |
| 6 ft (72 in) | 140–177 lb | 184–213 lb | 221–287 lb | 294–397 lb |
| 6 ft 1 in (73 in) | 144–182 lb | 189–219 lb | 227–295 lb | 302–408 lb |
| 6 ft 2 in (74 in) | 148–186 lb | 194–225 lb | 233–303 lb | 311–420 lb |
| 6 ft 3 in (75 in) | 152–192 lb | 200–232 lb | 240–311 lb | 319–431 lb |
| 6 ft 4 in (76 in) | 156–197 lb | 205–238 lb | 246–320 lb | 328–443 lb |
BMI is just one tool to understand body size, and it does not account for all of the ways that people’s bodies may differ. A person can talk with their doctor if they have questions about calculating or interpreting their BMI score.
How Much Should I Weigh?
Almost everyone has at some point tried to lose weight, or at least known somebody who has. This is largely due to the perception of an “ideal” body weight, which is often based on what we see promoted through various media such as social media, TV, movies, magazines, etc.
Although ideal body weight (IBW) today is sometimes based on perceived visual appeal, IBW was actually introduced to estimate dosages for medical use, and the formulas that calculate it are not at all related to how a person looks at a given weight.
It has since been determined that the metabolism of certain drugs is more based on IBW than on total body weight. Today, IBW is also used widely throughout sports, since many sports classify people based on their body weight.
Note that IBW is not a perfect measurement. It does not consider the percentages of body fat and muscle in a person’s body. This means that it is possible for highly fit, healthy athletes to be considered overweight based on their IBW.
This is why IBW should be considered with the perspective that it is an imperfect measure and not necessarily indicative of health, or a weight that a person should necessarily strive toward; it is possible to be over or under your “IBW” and be perfectly healthy.
How much a person should weigh is not an exact science. It is highly dependent on each individual. Thus far, there is no measure, be it IBW, body mass index (BMI), or any other, that can definitively state how much a person should weigh to be healthy.
They are only references, and it’s more important to adhere to making healthy life choices, such as regular exercise, eating a variety of unprocessed foods, getting enough sleep, etc., than it is to chase a specific weight based on a generalized formula.
That being said, many factors can affect the ideal weight; the major factors are listed below. Other factors include health conditions, fat distribution, progeny, etc.
Age
In theory, age shouldn’t be a large determinant of an IBW past the ages of 14-15 for girls and 16-17 for boys, after which most people stop growing. It is actually expected that human males and females lose 1.5 and 2 inches in height, respectively, by age 70.
It is important to remember that as people age, lean muscle mass decreases, and it is easier to accumulate excess body fat. This is a natural process, though it is possible to lessen the effects of aging by adopting various habits such as monitoring diet, exercise, stress, and sleep.
Gender
Generally, females weigh less than males, even though they naturally have a higher percentage of body fat. This is because the male body generally has higher muscle mass, and muscle is heavier than fat.
Not only that, but women generally have lower bone density. Last but not least, males tend to be taller than females.
Height
The taller the person, the more muscle mass and body fat they have, which results in more weight. A male at a similar height to a female should weigh about 10-20% heavier.
Body Frame Size
Body frame size is another factor that can have a significant impact on the measurement of ideal weight. Body frame size is typically categorized as small, medium, or large boned.
It is measured based on the circumference of a person’s wrist in relation to their height, as shown below.
For women:
- Height under 5’2″
- Small boned = wrist size less than 5.5.”
- Medium boned = wrist size 5.5″ to 5.75.”
- Large boned = wrist size over 5.75.”
- Height between 5’2″ and 5′ 5″
- Small boned = wrist size less than 6.”
- Medium boned = wrist size 6″ to 6.25.”
- Large boned = wrist size over 6.25.”
- Height over 5′ 5.”
- Small boned = wrist size less than 6.25.”
- Medium boned = wrist size 6.25″ to 6.5.”
- Large boned = wrist size over 6.5.”
For men:
- Height over 5′ 5.”
- Small boned = wrist size 5.5″ to 6.5.”
- Medium boned = wrist size 6.5″ to 7.5.”
- Large boned = wrist size over 7.5.”
A person who is large boned will naturally weigh more than someone who is small boned, even at the same height, making body frame size a factor that can affect measurements such as IBW and BMI.
How much should I weigh?
There many, many ways to estimate somebody’s ideal weight. Truth be told, none of them is perfectly accurate, as there are a lot of factors influencing it. For example, for people with a lot of muscle mass (and high lean body mass), their ideal weight will tend to be more than indicated by the results they obtain.
Our ideal body weight calculator uses six different formulae to find your ideal weight, as well as giving you your BMI . While the four formulas listed below give you only one number that you should be aiming for, BMI gives you a certain weight range you should be in.
For men, the ideal weight calculator uses the following equations:
- Robinson formula:
52 kg + 1.9 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Miller formula:
56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Hamwi formula:
48.0 kg + 2.7 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Devine formula:
50.0 kg + 2.3 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Broca formula:
height [cm] - 100; and - Lorentz formula:
(height [cm] - 100) - (height [cm] - 150)/4.
For women, the ideal weight calculator uses the following equations:
- Robinson formula:
49 kg + 1.7 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Miller formula:
53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Hamwi formula:
45.5 kg + 2.2 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Devine formula:
45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per every inch over 5 feet; - Broca formula:
height [cm] - 100; and - Lorentz formula:
(height [cm] - 100) - (height [cm] - 150)/2.
Apart from these six, our calculator also shows your ideal weight according to the Peterson formula, using your target BMI:
Peterson formula: (2.2 × target BMI) + (3.5 × target BMI × (height [m] - 1.5))
Note that this formula is independent of sex. Our calculator uses 22 as the target BMI by default. You can change this value by unchecking the “Use the default target BMI of 22” checkbox.
Limitations of our IBW calculator
There are limitations to all the formulas and methods. Because the formulas are designed to be as applicable to as wide a range of people as possible, they cannot be highly accurate for every single individual.
The formulas factor only height and gender, and there are no considerations for physical handicaps, people on the extreme ends of the spectrum, activity levels, or muscle mass to body fat ratios, otherwise known as body composition.
Our Ideal Weight Calculator is meant to be used as a general guideline based on popular formulas, and its results are not intended as strict values that a person must achieve to be considered an “ideal weight.”