What is ideal weight?
There's no single "ideal weight" that fits everyone. Several formulas have been developed over the decades, each with slightly different assumptions about body composition and frame size. We show you four trusted formulas plus their average so you can see the range.
The four formulas explained
- Devine (1974): Originally developed for medication dosing. Widely used in clinical settings. Tends to give moderate results.
- Robinson (1983): A refinement of the Devine formula based on a larger dataset. Gives slightly lower values than Devine.
- Miller (1983): Another adjustment that often produces the lowest of the four results.
- Hamwi (1964): The oldest formula, originally designed for use with diabetic patients. Often gives the highest value.
Which formula should I trust?
Honestly, none of them is perfect. They all rely on height and sex but ignore important factors like:
- Body frame size (small, medium, large bone structure)
- Muscle mass
- Body fat percentage
- Age
- Ethnicity
For most people, the average of all four formulas gives a reasonable target. But ideal weight is a range, not a single number. A 5-10 lb (2-5 kg) variation from these results is completely normal.
Better measures than weight alone
If you really want to assess your health, weight is just one data point. Body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, and how you feel matter more than a number on a scale.