Ideal Weight Calculator
Estimate a reference ideal body weight for your height.
Get a reference “ideal” body weight for your height using the well-known Devine formula, plus the healthy weight range for your height. It is a rough guide — real healthy weight depends on muscle, frame and more.
Formula / method
Examples
≈ 70.5 kg
≈ 56.9 kg
What "ideal weight" means
Ideal weight formulas estimate a healthy target from your height and sex. This tool uses the Devine formula, long used in medicine, and also shows the healthy range implied by a normal BMI, since no single number fits everyone.
Treat it as a range, not a rule
These estimates do not account for build, muscle mass or body composition, so athletes and very muscular people will often sit above the "ideal" while being perfectly healthy. Use the figure as a rough guide alongside other measures like the Body Fat Calculator, not a strict goal.
Where it's used
- Getting a quick reference target weight from your height and sex
- Comparing your weight against the healthy BMI range for your height
- A rough starting point for a fitness or weight-loss goal
- Sanity-checking one "ideal weight" figure against another formula
- Understanding a reference weight used in some clinical dosing contexts
Real-world examples
- A 175 cm man gets a Devine ideal of about 70.5 kg, inside a healthy BMI range of roughly 56.7–76.6 kg.
- A 165 cm woman gets about 56.9 kg by the Devine formula.
- A very muscular athlete may weigh well above the "ideal" figure yet be perfectly healthy, since the formula ignores muscle mass.
A bit of history
The Devine formula was published by Dr. B. J. Devine in 1974. It was originally created not for general fitness but to help calculate drug doses such as the antibiotic gentamicin, and only later became a popular "ideal weight" reference.
Did you know?
The widely used Devine "ideal body weight" formula began life in a 1974 paper on antibiotic dosing — its round numbers (50 kg for men, 45.5 kg for women, plus 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet) were an educated estimate, not the result of a population study.
FAQ
Is “ideal weight” exact?
No — it is a rough reference from a formula and ignores muscle and build. Use it as a guide alongside BMI, not a strict target.