A healthy weight is a range, not a number. It is the weight that puts your body mass index between 18.5 and 25 kg/m² for your height — the band where, across large populations, metabolic risk is lowest. This calculator shows that range for your height and compares it with the ideal-weight formulas clinicians have used for decades.
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Ideal Weight
Devine 1974Ideal weight
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Ideal Weight Chart
Devine formula (1974), rounded to the nearest 0.5 kg or 1 lb. For a height between two rows, read the rows on either side.
| Height | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 5'0" 152 cm | 50.0 kg 110 lb | 45.5 kg 100 lb |
| 5'2" 157 cm | 54.5 kg 120 lb | 50.0 kg 110 lb |
| 5'4" 163 cm | 59.0 kg 131 lb | 54.5 kg 121 lb |
| 5'6" 168 cm | 64.0 kg 141 lb | 59.5 kg 131 lb |
| 5'8" 173 cm | 68.5 kg 151 lb | 64.0 kg 141 lb |
| 5'10" 178 cm | 73.0 kg 161 lb | 68.5 kg 151 lb |
| 6'0" 183 cm | 77.5 kg 171 lb | 73.0 kg 161 lb |
| 6'2" 188 cm | 82.0 kg 181 lb | 77.5 kg 171 lb |
Healthy Weight Range
The range of healthy body weights is calculated from your height and BMI. An adult with a BMI between 18.5 and 25 is typically defined as having a healthy or normal weight.
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BMI is a screening estimate: it cannot tell muscle from fat, so a very muscular person can read as overweight while being healthy.
How the healthy range is calculated
Take the BMI band 18.5 – 25 and solve it for weight at your height:
weight = BMI × height²
At 1.70 m the range is 53.5 – 72.3 kg (118 – 159 lb). At 1.75 m it is 56.7 – 76.6 kg (125 – 169 lb). At 1.60 m it is 47.4 – 64.0 kg (104 – 141 lb). Nothing about your build enters the formula — only your height.
| Height | Healthy weight (BMI 18.5 – 25) |
|---|---|
| 1.55 m / 5’1″ | 44.4 – 60.1 kg / 98 – 132 lb |
| 1.60 m / 5’3″ | 47.4 – 64.0 kg / 104 – 141 lb |
| 1.65 m / 5’5″ | 50.4 – 68.1 kg / 111 – 150 lb |
| 1.70 m / 5’7″ | 53.5 – 72.3 kg / 118 – 159 lb |
| 1.75 m / 5’9″ | 56.7 – 76.6 kg / 125 – 169 lb |
| 1.80 m / 5’11” | 59.9 – 81.0 kg / 132 – 179 lb |
| 1.85 m / 6’1″ | 63.3 – 85.6 kg / 140 – 189 lb |
Healthy weight vs “ideal weight” formulas
The BMI range is a population band. The older ideal-weight equations — Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi — were built for drug dosing and give a single target instead of a range. They disagree with each other by a few kilograms, which is the honest signal: at the individual level there is no single correct weight. Use the band to locate yourself, and the formulas to see how much the answer moves when the model changes.
When the range does not apply
- Athletes and strength trainers: muscle raises BMI without raising fat, so the upper edge can be crossed healthily.
- Older adults: a little reserve above the lower edge is often protective; unintentional weight loss is a bigger warning sign than a BMI of 26.
- Pregnancy: BMI bands are not used; weight gain is tracked against pre-pregnancy BMI instead.
- Children and teenagers: healthy weight is read from age- and sex-specific percentile charts, not the adult 18.5 – 25 band.
- Ethnicity: several Asian populations use 23 – 27.5 as the overweight band, which shifts the healthy range downward.
Healthy weight calculator FAQ
What is a healthy weight for my height?
Multiply 18.5 and 25 by your height in metres squared. For 1.72 m that is 54.7 – 74.0 kg. The result is a range because BMI is a band, not a point.
Is the healthy weight range the same for men and women?
Yes for the BMI-based band. Body-fat percentage differs at the same BMI, which is why the range is a screening tool rather than a target for everyone.
Can I be healthy above the range?
Possibly — if the extra mass is muscle, or if you are older and carry a little reserve. Waist circumference and body-fat percentage give a better picture than BMI alone.
How fast should I move toward the range?
Slowly. A sustained loss of 0.5 – 1 kg per week is the usual guideline, and a 5 – 10% reduction is already enough to improve blood pressure and glucose control for most people above the band.
Related tools
- BMI Calculator — where you sit across all eight WHO bands.
- Enhanced BMI Calculator — BMI, body fat, BMR, TDEE and calorie targets in one place.
- Body Fat Calculator (Navy method) — composition rather than weight.
- Lean Body Mass Calculator — how much of your weight is not fat.
