Ideal Weight Calculator
Estimate a healthy target body weight from height and gender.
56.9 kg
About this calculator
How This Ideal Weight Calculator Works
Enter your gender and height, and the calculator estimates an ideal body weight using the Devine formula, a standard reference formula from clinical medicine.
Worked Example
A woman at 165 cm (about 65 inches) tall has an ideal weight of about 56.9 kg (125.5 lb). A man at the same height comes out higher, around 61.4 kg, since the formula uses a different baseline for men.
The Formula
For men: Ideal weight (kg) = 50 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60). For women: Ideal weight (kg) = 45.5 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60). The Devine formula was originally developed in 1974 to help estimate drug dosages relative to body size, and later became a widely used general reference for "ideal" weight — though it's a population-level formula, not a personalized target.
Why This Is a Reference Point, Not a Target
The Devine formula (like similar formulas such as Robinson or Hamwi) accounts only for height and gender — it ignores frame size, muscle mass, and body composition entirely. Two people at the same height can have very different healthy weights depending on build. It's most useful as a rough clinical reference point rather than a personal goal; BMI and body fat percentage (see the Body Fat Calculator) usually give a more complete picture together.
Worked example
At 165cm (about 5'5"), the Devine formula estimates an ideal weight of about 56.9 kg (125 lb) for a woman.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Devine formula come from?
It was originally developed in 1974 for medical dosing calculations, not as a fitness target — it's still widely used as a quick reference point precisely because it's simple and well established.
Is this the same as a "healthy weight"?
Not exactly — it's one formula's estimate based purely on height and gender. Frame size, muscle mass, and overall health matter too, so treat this as a reference point rather than a strict target.
Why does the result only depend on height and gender?
That's a limitation of this particular formula — it doesn't account for age, frame size, or muscle mass, which is why different "ideal weight" formulas (Devine, Robinson, Hamwi) can give noticeably different answers for the same person.