Welcome to our ideal weight calculator.
This calculator estimates your ideal weight and BMI healthy weight range based on your height and gender.
It is very important to note that there is no single ideal weight for a given height, so the ideal weight result given by this calculator should not be considered an absolute goal or target to aim for.
Ideal Body Weight Calculator
Your estimated ideal body weight is:
Please input a height.
Ideal Body Weight (IBW) Explained: What Does Your Result Mean?
The IBW formula was originally developed to help determine drug dosages in healthcare. However, since then it has come to be used as an indicator of healthy weight.
How Much Should I Weigh?
There is no formula that can accurately determine the exact ideal weight for everyone.
The ideal body weight calculated above should be considered as a general indicator of healthy weight, rather than an absolute value. You can be incredibly fit and healthy and still be significantly above or below your estimated IBW result.
In fact, most professional long-distance runners would be considered ‘underweight’ according to their BMI, and many weight-lifters or very muscular individuals would be considered ‘overweight’, despite both types of individuals being very healthy.
As explained in a recent paper by Chichester, Holmes, and Hubbard (2019): “Socially, the significance around “ideal” can impact a weight-centric mentality and negatively affect a large portion of the population. Every individual has a distinct “ideal” body weight based on genetics, environment and lifestyle”.
Rather than pursuing a single ideal weight goal, it is more important to focus on maintaining a healthy diet and an active, healthy lifestyle.
There are also significant differences in healthy weight categories between different ethnicities. Check out the info on our BMI Calculator page to find out more.
Related: Weight Loss Guides
Related: Diet Guides
Related: Training Guides
How Is Ideal Body Weight Calculated?
Our healthy weight calculator uses the 1974 B. J. Devine Formula.
The formulas for ideal body weight are as follows:
Female IBW: 45.5 kg + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet
Healthy BMI Range Explained
BMI is a general indicator of whether or not someone is a healthy weight relative to their height.
Individuals within the healthy BMI range are considered to have a healthy weight relative to their height.
However, it should be worth noting that it is possible for individuals to fall outside of the healthy BMI range, yet still be healthy. For example, a heavy individual with a high muscle mass and low body fat could be considered overweight according to their BMI, despite being healthy.
Check out our BMI Calculator for more info.
How Does Gender Affect Body Weight?
Males tend to be heavier than females as on average they are taller, have more muscle mass, and have a higher bone density. In fact, due to this higher muscle mass and greater bone density, a male who is the same height as a female is still likely to be 10-20% heavier.
How Does Height Affect Body Weight?
People who are taller tend to be heavier due to increased muscle and fat.
How Does Age Affect Body Weight?
People tend to lose muscle mass and gain fat more easily as they age. The effects of this can be minimized by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
What Other Factors Affect Body Weight?
The body type of an individual affects their healthy weight. For example, an individual with a small frame might have a lower healthy weight than an individual with a large frame of the same height.
Level of activity, amount of exercise, and diet also play a large role in determining body weight. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet will help to maintain a healthy weight and healthy level of body fat.