Ideal weight calculator: your healthy weight range
Enter your height. The calculator shows the weight range in which adults are classed as normal weight by the World Health Organization (WHO) – as a range, not a single “ideal weight”.
How it is calculated
How the range is calculated
The WHO classes adults with a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 as normal weight. Solving the BMI formula for weight gives the range for your height:
Lower limit = 18.5 × height² · upper limit = 24.9 × height² (height in metres, weight in kg)
Feet and inches are converted exactly (1 in = 2.54 cm), and the result is shown in pounds as well (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg).
Worked example
At 1.70 m (about 5 ft 7 in): 1.70 × 1.70 = 2.89. Lower limit 18.5 × 2.89 = 53.5 kg (117.9 lb), upper limit 24.9 × 2.89 = 72.0 kg (158.6 lb). Any weight in between is in the normal range. For exactly 5 ft 7 in (170.18 cm) the calculator shows 118.1 to 159.0 lb.
Why no single ideal weight?
Formulas such as Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi or Broca produce a single number. They go back to old insurance height-weight tables and were later used mainly for drug dosing (Pai & Paloucek 2000). There is no evidence that this one weight is healthier than any other weight in the normal range, and the formulas disagree noticeably with each other. That is why this calculator only shows the range the WHO uses.
Ideal weight or BMI calculator?
This calculator only needs your height and answers “how much should I weigh?”. To classify your current weight, use the BMI calculator: it shows your BMI, the WHO category and how far you are from the normal range.
Limits
- Adults only: for children and teenagers, BMI is assessed with age- and sex-specific percentiles.
- Not during pregnancy: weight gain is normal then.
- Build: very muscular people can be above the range without carrying excess fat; a weight within the range says nothing about fat distribution.
The result is for orientation and does not replace medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I weigh for my height?
According to the WHO, normal weight lies between 18.5 × height² and 24.9 × height² (height in metres). At 5 ft 7 in that is about 118 to 159 lb; at 6 ft (182.88 cm) about 136 to 184 lb.
Why does the calculator not give one number?
There is no evidence that a single “ideal” weight is healthier than other weights in the normal range. Formulas like Devine or Broca come from old tables and drug dosing.
Is the ideal weight different for women and men?
The WHO BMI limits are the same for women and men, so the range is the same too. Single formulas like Devine differ by sex, but they are not better supported by evidence.
Does it apply in older age or pregnancy?
The range applies to adults. It is not meaningful during pregnancy; in older age body composition shifts, which is best discussed with a doctor.
What is the difference from the BMI calculator?
The ideal weight calculator only needs your height and shows the range. The BMI calculator also classifies your current weight.
Sources and legal basis
- WHO TRS 894: WHO Technical Report Series 894 – Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic (2000), Table 2.1
- WHO – Obesity and overweight, fact sheet (BMI definitions for adults)
- Pai MP, Paloucek FP (2000): The origin of the "ideal" body weight equations. Ann Pharmacother 34:1066–1069
As of:
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