Ideal Weight Calculator
Estimate ideal body weight from height and sex using the Devine formula.
Healthy Range
Your 70.7 kg Devine estimate lands inside the healthy weight range for your height (BMI 18.5–24.9).
The Devine formula is a widely used medical estimate, not a strict target — healthy weight varies with frame size and muscle mass.
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50 kg + 2.3 kg × inches over 5ft
About the Ideal Weight Calculator
The Devine formula turns your height into a single "ideal weight" figure — 50 kg for men and 45.5 kg for women as a base at 5 feet, plus 2.3 kg for every inch above that. It was never built as a wellness target, though; it was published in 1974 by a physician who needed a quick way to estimate lean body weight for drug dosing calculations, and it stuck around because it's simple enough to compute by hand at a bedside.
Because it only takes height and sex, it says nothing about frame size, muscle mass or body composition — two people of identical height can have very different healthy weights depending on how they're built. Most people use this number the way it was borrowed for elsewhere in medicine: a quick reference point, not a personal target to chase.
The calculation happens instantly on your device — no account, no server round-trip, just your height and an estimate you can compare against other tools like BMI or body fat percentage.
How it’s calculated
Devine's formula: 50 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for men, or 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet for women. The flat base weight and per-inch increment were fitted to typical body weights of the era rather than derived from a body-composition model, which is why it's best read as a rough midpoint rather than a precisely reasoned target.
Other similar formulas exist — Robinson (1983), Miller (1983) and Hamwi (1964) each tweak the constants slightly — and none of them agree exactly, which itself is a sign that "ideal weight" from height alone is inherently an approximation.
Frequently asked questions
What is considered an ideal weight?
There's no single correct answer — formulas like Devine give a height-based estimate, but a truly healthy weight depends on frame size, muscle mass, age and overall health, which is why doctors lean on ranges (like the healthy BMI band) rather than one fixed number.
Is the Devine formula outdated?
It's old, but it's still used clinically today, mainly because it's simple and consistent — hospitals often use it (or similar formulas) to estimate lean body weight for medication dosing, not as a personal fitness goal.
Does this account for frame size or muscle mass?
No — it only uses height and sex, so a muscular or large-framed person will show as "above ideal" even at a healthy body composition. Body fat percentage or waist measurement are better checks for anyone with above-average muscle mass.
Why do different ideal weight calculators give different numbers?
Because several competing formulas exist — Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi were each developed independently with slightly different constants, so a small spread between calculators is normal rather than a sign that one is "wrong."
Should I try to hit this exact number?
Not as a strict target — treat it as one reference point among several (alongside BMI and body fat percentage) rather than a number to chase on the scale, especially if you carry more muscle than average.
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