Question 1

What is the ideal weight for my height?

Accepted Answer

There is no single 'ideal' weight — it depends on your body frame, muscle mass, sex, and age. This calculator shows 4 different clinical formulas to give you a range rather than a single number, which is more realistic and useful.

Question 2

Which ideal weight formula is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The Devine formula is the most widely used in clinical settings. However, all four formulas have limitations — they were developed for adults with average body frames and don't account for muscle mass or ethnicity. The BMI healthy weight range (18.5–24.9) gives the most flexible and generally accepted target.

Question 3

Is ideal weight the same as healthy weight?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. 'Ideal weight' formulas give a specific number, while 'healthy weight range' derived from BMI 18.5–24.9 gives a range. For most people, the healthy BMI range is more practical and medically relevant.

Question 4

Why do men and women have different ideal weights?

Accepted Answer

Men typically have more muscle mass and denser bones than women of the same height, resulting in higher ideal weight values. The formulas account for biological sex differences in body composition.

Question 5

Does ideal weight change with age?

Accepted Answer

These formulas don't directly adjust for age. In practice, body composition naturally shifts with age — more fat, less muscle — so the same weight may represent different health levels at different ages.

Formula	Year	Notes
Devine	1974	Originally for medication dosing. Still widely used in medicine.
Robinson	1983	Revision of Devine. Slightly lower values.
Hamwi	1964	Traditional clinical rule-of-thumb. Older but still referenced.
Miller	1983	Another Devine revision. Gives slightly higher values for tall individuals.

Formula	Year	Notes
Devine	1974	Originally for medication dosing. Still widely used in medicine.
Robinson	1983	Revision of Devine. Slightly lower values.
Hamwi	1964	Traditional clinical rule-of-thumb. Older but still referenced.
Miller	1983	Another Devine revision. Gives slightly higher values for tall individuals.

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