Dependent on height, gender, and age, the Ideal Weight Calculator calculates ideal body weight (IBW) estimates. Many experts have been looking for a way to calculate IBW using equations for a long time.
Several classic equations are still in use today. Our Ideal Weight Calculator presents its findings for side-by-side comparisons.
What is my Ideal Weight?
Many people have tried to lose weight or know someone who has. Sometimes it is for health reasons, sometimes because of our idea of the "ideal" body weight. This ideal is often based on what we see in advertising in the media, such as social media, television, movies, magazines, etc.
Ideal body weight is often associated with visual appeal. Still, IBW was actually introduced to estimate dosages for medical use. It is now established that body weight plays an important role in the metabolism of some medicines.
The formulas used to calculate the IBW are not related to how a person looks at a given weight. They were originally created to improve dosage estimates. IBW is now commonly used in sports, as many sports categorize athletes depending on their body weight.
The IBW scale isn’t ideal because it does not consider a person’s body fat and muscle percentages. The IBW is not an accurate metric. It does not always reflect the state of health or the weight a person should aim for. Depending on their IBW, even the most active and healthy athletes can be categorized as overweight.
It's impossible to estimate how much a person should weigh precisely. It is very variable and dependent on the person. Up to this point, no measurement, whether IBW, BMI, or any other, has established how much an individual should weigh to be healthy. These are just recommendations.
Get regular exercise, eat various natural foods, and get enough rest. This is more important than achieving a specific weight goal based on an equation. It is much more important to stick to a healthy lifestyle.
Many factors might influence the ideal weight; the most important ones are given here. Other considerations include health status, progeny, fat distribution, etc.
Age
Theoretically, age should not affect IBW much after 14–15 years for girls and 16–17 years for boys. At these points, most people stop growing. Moreover, by 70, men and women are expected to lose 1.5 and 2 inches in height, respectively.
With age, muscle mass decreases, and excess fat accumulates more easily. This is a natural process, but you can reduce the effects of aging by adopting various habits such as controlling diet, exercise, stress, and sleep.
Gender
Females, on average, weigh less than males while having a more significant percentage of body fat. The male body has more muscle mass than the female body, and muscle weighs more than fat. Women’s bone density is typically lower. Last, men are often taller than women.
Height
The taller a person is, the more muscle mass and fat they have in their body. And this also leads to weight gain. A man of comparable height and weight should weigh 10-20% more than a woman.
Body Frame Size
Another aspect that might influence ideal weight measurement is the size of the body frame. Specialists usually classify the size of a person's body frame as small, medium, or large-boned. As illustrated below, we can calculate it by comparing a person's wrist circumference to their height.
Here are the revised calculations including both imperial and metric units, with the metric units rounded to tenths:
For Women
For a height under 5'2" (157.5 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 5.5" (14.0 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 5.5" to 5.75" (14.0 cm to 14.6 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 5.75" (14.6 cm)
For a height between 5'2" and 5' 5" (157.5 cm to 165.1 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 6" (15.2 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 6" to 6.25" (15.2 cm to 15.9 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 6.25" (15.9 cm)
For a height over 5' 5" (165.1 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 6.25" (15.9 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 6.25" to 6.5" (15.9 cm to 16.5 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 6.5" (16.5 cm)
For Men
For a height under 5'2" (157.5 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 5.75" (14.6 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 5.75" to 6" (14.6 cm to 15.2 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 6" (15.2 cm)
For a height between 5'2" and 5' 5" (157.5 cm to 165.1 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 6.25" (15.9 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 6.25" to 6.5" (15.9 cm to 16.5 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 6.5" (16.5 cm)
For a height over 5' 5" (165.1 cm):
- Small-boned: wrist size less than 6.5" (16.5 cm)
- Medium-boned: wrist size 6.5" to 7.5" (16.5 cm to 19.1 cm)
- Large-boned: wrist size over 7.5" (19.1 cm)
At the same height, an individual with large bones would weigh more than someone with small bones. This makes body frame size a variable, affecting metrics like IBW and BMI.
Formulas to Help You Find Your Ideal Weight
Scientists created IBW algorithms primarily to make medicine dose estimates easier. The equations use the same layout: a base weight is assigned to a height of 5 feet, and a predetermined weight increment is added for each inch over that height. For instance, if you’re a 5’10" man using the Devine method to calculate your ideal weight, you’d add (2.3 × 10) kg to 50 kg to get 73 kg, or 161 lbs.
The values used in the equations vary depending on the discoveries of the scientists engaged in their formulation. The Devine formula is the most commonly used method for calculating IBW.
The Formula of J. Hamwi (1964)
48.0 kg + 2.7 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for men
45.5 kg + 2.2 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for women
This formula was invented for prescribing medication dosages.
The Formula of J. Devine (1974)
50.0 kg + 2.3 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for men
45.5 kg + 2.3 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for women
Like the Hamwi Formula, it was created as a foundation for medical doses based on weight and height. The equation became a universal criterion of IBW throughout time.
The Formula of D. Robinson Formula (1983)
52 kg + 1.9 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for men
49 kg + 1.7 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for women
A Modification of the Devine Formula.
The Formula of R. Miller (1983)
56.2 kg + 1.41 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for men
53.1 kg + 1.36 kg/inch for the height more than 5 feet - for women
A Modification of the Devine Formula.
BMI in a Healthy Range
For both females and males, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9. It is possible to determine a healthy weight for any height using the BMI range.
BMI is a popular statistic for calculating IBW. It’s commonly used in medicine to show potential health problems rapidly. The greater a person’s BMI, the more likely they will develop health issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
It is presently the official measure for categorizing people according to different obesity levels. Physicians also use it to inform their patients about specific health problems, especially if a gradual increase in BMI is noticeable.
BMI for Children in a Healthy Range
Please see the following BMI charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for children and teenagers (CDC). All the equations shown above are for people at least 18 years old. According to the CDC, children should have a BMI of between the 5th and 85th percentile for their age group.
CDC BMI chart (boys, age 2 - 20)
CDC BMI chart (girls, age 2 - 20)
Our IBW calculator has several limitations
Our ideal weight calculator is a standard guide using popular equations. The findings do not mean that a person has to gain a rigidly defined level to be considered to have an “ideal weight.”
All equations and procedures have their limits. Since the calculations apply to as many people as possible, they cannot be entirely correct for everyone. In addition, there are no corrections in the calculations for physical handicaps, those at the extremes of the range, the level of exercise, or the ratio of muscle mass to body fat, known as body composition.
