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Your Ideal Weight

The most accurate assessment of your ideal weight considers the composition of your body - how much of your weight is lean body mass (muscle and bone) and how much is body fat. For optimum health, body fat should be no more than 20% of total body weight for men and 30% for women.

Ideal Weight Table

The following table guides a healthy weight range for each height and gender based on the normal, acceptable range of Body Mass Index (BMI) [1]. The table does not take into consideration your age or your frame size. A person with a petite physique (small frame) should aim for an ideal weight at the lower end of the range, and a person of the same height but with a large frame could quite satisfactorily weigh in at the top of the range.

Height Men Women
Feet &
Inches		 Metres lb Kg lb Kg
4' 7" 1.397 86 - 107 39 - 49 80 - 102 36 - 46
4' 7½" 1.410 88 - 109 40 - 49 82 - 104 37 - 47
4' 8" 1.422 90 - 111 41 - 50 83 - 106 38 - 48
4' 8½" 1.435 91 - 113 41 - 51 85 - 108 39 - 49
4' 9" 1.448 93 - 115 42 - 52 86 - 110 39 - 50
4' 9½" 1.461 95 - 117 43 - 53 88 - 112 40 - 51
4' 10" 1.473 96 - 119 44 - 54 89 - 114 41 - 52
4' 10½" 1.486 98 - 121 44 - 55 91 - 116 41 - 53
4' 11" 1.499 100 - 123 45 - 56 93 - 118 42 - 53
4' 11½" 1.511 101 - 125 46 - 57 94 - 120 43 - 54
5' 1.524 103 - 128 47 - 58 96 - 122 43 - 55
5' ½" 1.537 105 - 130 47 - 59 97 - 124 44 - 56
5' 1" 1.549 106 - 132 48 - 60 99 - 126 45 - 57
5' 1½" 1.562 108 - 134 49 - 61 101 - 128 46 - 58
5' 2" 1.575 110 - 136 50 - 62 102 - 130 46 - 59
5' 2½" 1.588 112 - 138 51 - 63 104 - 132 47 - 60
5' 3" 1.600 113 - 141 51 - 64 106 - 134 48 - 61
5' 3½" 1.613 115 - 143 52 - 65 107 - 137 49 - 62
5' 4" 1.626 117 - 145 53 - 66 109 - 139 49 - 63
5' 4½" 1.638 119 - 147 54 - 67 111 - 141 50 - 64
5' 5" 1.651 121 - 150 55 - 68 112 - 143 51 - 65
5' 5½" 1.664 123 - 152 56 - 69 114 - 145 52 - 66
5' 6" 1.676 125 - 154 56 - 70 116 - 147 53 - 67
5' 6½" 1.689 126 - 157 57 - 71 118 - 150 53 - 68
5' 7" 1.702 128 - 159 58 - 72 119 - 152 54 - 69
5' 7½" 1.715 130 - 161 59 - 73 121 - 154 55 - 70
5' 8" 1.727 132 - 164 60 - 74 123 - 157 56 - 71
5' 8½" 1.740 134 - 166 61 - 75 125 - 159 57 - 72
5' 9" 1.753 136 - 169 62 - 76 127 - 161 57 - 73
5' 9½" 1.765 138 - 171 63 - 78 128 -164 58 - 74
5' 10" 1.778 140 - 174 64 - 79 130 -166 59 - 75
5' 10½" 1.791 142 -176 64 - 80 132 - 168 60 - 76
5' 11" 1.803 144 - 179 65 - 81 134 - 171 61 - 77
5' 11½" 1.816 146 - 181 66 - 82 136 - 173 62 - 78
6' 0" 1.829 148 - 184 67 - 83 138 - 176 63 - 80
6' ½" 1.842 150 - 186 68 - 84 140 - 178 63 - 81
6' 1" 1.854 152 - 189 69 - 86 142 - 180 64 - 82
6' 1½" 1.867 154 - 191 70 - 87 144 - 183 65 - 83
6' 2" 1.880 157 - 194 71 - 88 146 - 185 66 - 84
6' 2½" 1.892 159 - 197 72 - 89 148 - 188 67 - 85
6' 3" 1.905 161 - 199 73 - 90 150 - 190 68 - 86
6' 3½" 1.918 163 - 202 74 - 92 152 - 193 69 - 88
6' 4" 1.930 165 - 205 75 - 93 154 - 196 70 - 89

Ideal Weight Calculator

To estimate of your ideal weight range, please enter your height and gender and select the 'Calculate ' button.

Height Gender
From To
Your Ideal weight range st lb st lb
kg kg

Body Mass Index

Calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI) is an alternative way of gauging your weight. To determine your BMI divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.

  • BMI = Weight in Kg ÷ Height in metres∧2

This measurement's normal, acceptable range is 20.1 to 25.0 for men and 18.7 to 23.8 for women.

The only exceptions are athletes and bodybuilders, whose extra muscle may tip their BMI over the normal range.

Vikram et al. (2003)[2] in his study showed that Asian Indians have an excess cardiovascular risk at BMI values considered “normal”. Therefore the definitions of “normal” ranges of BMI need to be revised for Asian Indians.

Impact of age ≥65

In his research, Heiat (2003)[7] concluded that data suggest that optimum body mass index (BMI) tended to be higher for older adults (≥65 years) compared with the young and middle-aged population, and interestingly, being heavier than recommended by the current guidelines resulted in the lowest mortality rates. 

Public health recommendations should promote regular physical activity and weight maintenance among mild to moderately overweight, otherwise healthy, adults who have survived to old age (≥65 years).

BMI Calculators

British Imperial Measurements

To obtain an estimate of Body Mass Index, please enter your gender, height, and weight and then select the 'Calculate' button.

Gender   Height feet inches   Weight stone pounds
  BMI which is

Metric Measurements

To obtain an estimate of Body Mass Index, please enter your gender, height, and weight and then select the 'Calculate' button.

Gender   Height metres   Weight kgs
  BMI which is

An alternative equation for calculating BMI

In an article in The Times (2013)[4] Professor Trefehan says that the current calculation of BMI results in short people thinking they are thinner than they are and tall people thinking they are fatter. He feels that the correct equation for calculating an individual's BMI is:

  • BMI = 1.3 x (Weight in Kg ÷ Height in metres∧2.5)

To obtain an estimate of Body Mass Index using this alternative equation, please enter your gender, height, and weight and then select the 'Calculate' button.

Gender   Height metres   Weight kgs
  BMI which is

Assessment of your BMI score

The following BMI assessment is provided by NHS Direct (2011)[1]

  • less than 18.5 you are underweight for your height.
  • 18.5 to 24.9 you are an ideal weight for your height
  • 25 to 29.9 you are over the ideal weight for your height
  • 30 to 39.9 you are obese
  • over 39.9 you are very obese

If your BMI is greater than 30, you should consider taking action to lose weight.

Estimated Energy Requirements (EER)

The following calculator provides the Estimated Energy Requirements (calories/day) you require to maintain your current weight.

To obtain an estimate of your EER please enter your gender, age, activity level, height, and weight and then select the 'Calculate' button.

Gender   Age years   Activity Level
Weight kg's   Height metres    
  Your EER is calories/day

The official formulas for calculating your daily estimated energy requirements (EER) are provided by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (Trumbo et al. 2002)[3]

  • EER Male = (662 - (9.53 x Age)) + (PA x ((15.91 x Weight) + (539.6 x Height)))
  • EER Female = (354 - (6.91 x Age)) + (PA x ((9.36 x Weight) + (726 x Height)))

PA indicates your Activity Level and is equal to 1.0 for Sedentary, 1.12 for Low Active, 1.27 for Active and 1.45 for Very Active. Weight is measured in kilograms and height in metres.

History of ideal weight formulas

Several formulas and theories have been devised over the years, and the following are some of those most popular "ideal weight" formulas:

Originator Men Women
Dr P. Broca (1897) Height (cm) -100 +- 10% Height (cm) -100 +- 15%
G. Hamwi (1964) 48kg + 2.7kg/inch over 5 feet 45.5kg + 2.2kg/inch over 5 feet
B. Devine (1974) 50kg + 2.3kg/inch over 5 feet 45.5kg + 2.3kg/inch over 5 feet
J. Robinson et al. (1983)[5] 52kg + 1.9kg/inch over 5 feet 49kg + 1.7kg/inch over 5 feet
D. Miller Formula (1983) 56.2kg + 1.41kg/inch over 5 feet 53.1kg + 1.36kg/inch over 5 feet
H. Lemmens et al. (2005)[6] 22 × Height2 (metres) 22 × Height2 (metres)

To obtain an estimate of your ideal weight, please enter your height and select the 'Calculate ' button based on these formulas.

Height
Men Women
Dr P. Broca (1897)  to  kg    to  kg
G. Hamwi (1964) kg kg
B. Devine (1974) kg kg
J. Robinson et al. (1983) kg kg
D. Miller Formula (1983) kg kg
H. Lemmens et al. (2005) kg kg

Free Calculator

Free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that you can download and use on your computer.

References

  1. NHS Direct (2011) BMI healthy weight calculator [WWW] Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/pages/bodymassindex.aspx [Accessed 14/10/2011]
  2. VIKRAM, N. et al. (2003) Non-obese (body mass index < 25 kg/m2) Asian Indians with normal waist circumference have high cardiovascular risk. Nutrition, 19 (6), p. 503-509
  3. TRUMBO, P. et al. (2002) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fibre, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102 (11), p. 1621-1630
  4. The Times (2013) Short and now fatter than you thought according to new way of calculating BMI, The Times, 10th January
  5. ROBINSON, J.D. et al. (1983) Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. Am J Hosp Parm, 40 p. 1016-1019
  6. LEMMENS H.J.M. et al. (2005) Obesity Surgery, 15 (7) p. 1082-1083
  7. HEIAT, A. (2003) Impact of age on definition of standards for ideal weight. Preventive cardiology, 6 (2), p. 104-107

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Your Ideal Weight [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/idealw.htm [Accessed