What Is a Healthy Weight for Your Height? Four Formulas Compared
Compare ideal weight from the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi formulas and the healthy BMI range, and learn why they differ.
People ask for an "ideal weight" as if there were a single number. There is not. Formulas give a range, and your build, age and health matter more than a table.
Quick answer
Enter your height and sex. You see the Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi results and the weight range for a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
The four formulas (for height above 5 feet)
For men, in kilograms, with height over 60 inches:
- Devine: 50 + 2.3 kg per inch
- Robinson: 52 + 1.9 kg per inch
- Miller: 56.2 + 1.41 kg per inch
- Hamwi: 48 + 2.7 kg per inch
Women use a smaller base number with similar increments. The numbers differ because the formulas were made for different purposes and populations, some for drug dosing and others from insurance data.
Example
A man 175 cm tall (about 68.9 inches) gets Devine ≈ 70.5 kg, Robinson ≈ 69.9 kg and Miller ≈ 68.7 kg. The healthy BMI range for this height is about 56.7 to 76.3 kg.
Which one should you trust?
None alone. The BMI range is the broadest and the most commonly used for general health guidance. Formulas are best treated as a rough guide.
Limits
- Muscle weighs more than fat, so athletes can be "over" the numbers and healthy.
- Older adults may do better with a slightly higher weight.
- Children and pregnant women need different charts.
- Frame size and waist measurement add useful information.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own target.