What should you weigh?
Four medical formulas. One healthy range.
Medical Disclaimer: This tool provides general educational estimates. Always consult your prescribing physician or healthcare provider before making medication changes or interpreting results from population-based models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your ideal weight depends on height, gender, and frame size. For example, a 5'10" male with a medium frame has an ideal range of approximately 149-183 lbs across four medical formulas.
No single formula is definitively most accurate. The Devine formula (1974) is most widely used clinically. This calculator averages all four for a more comprehensive estimate.
Frame size accounts for skeletal structure. Small frames reduce the target by 10%, large frames increase it by 10%. Test: wrap thumb and middle finger around wrist. Overlap = small, touch = medium, gap = large.
Neither is inherently more accurate. Ideal body weight formulas account for gender and frame, making them slightly more personalized than BMI. Both have significant limitations.
Being within 10-15% of your calculated range is generally healthy. Focus on overall health markers rather than hitting an exact number.
Sources
- Devine BJ. Gentamicin therapy. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1974;8:650-655.
- Robinson JD, et al. Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40(6):1016-1019. Link
- Miller DR, et al. Nomogram for estimating ideal body weight. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40(7):1216-1220.
- Hamwi GJ. Therapy: changing dietary concepts. In: Danowski TS, ed. Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Treatment. 1964:73-78.
Methodology
Four formulas calculate ideal body weight in kg for heights above 5 feet (60 inches). Devine: 50 + 2.3 × (inches over 60) for men, 45.5 + 2.3 for women. Robinson: 52 + 1.9 (men), 49 + 1.7 (women). Miller: 56.2 + 1.41 (men), 53.1 + 1.36 (women). Hamwi: 48 + 2.7 (men), 45.5 + 2.2 (women). Frame size adjusts ±10%.
Ideal body weight can be estimated using four formulas: Devine (1974, most common), Robinson (1983), Miller (1983, most conservative), and Hamwi (1964). All are based on height above 5 feet with gender-specific coefficients. Frame size adjusts by ±10%. Example: 5'10" male, medium frame = approximately 149-183 lbs range across formulas.
What else do you want to know?
Ask Pulse anything.