Why doesn't BMI account for muscle mass?

BMI is only weight divided by height squared, so it can't distinguish muscle, fat, or bone.

What's a healthy waist size for my height?

NHLBI guidelines flag increased risk above a 40-inch waist for men and 35 inches for women. A simpler rule is keeping waist-to-height ratio under 0.5.

Ideal Weight & Body Measurements Chart by Height

Q: Which formula is most accurate?

None is definitively correct. Devine (1974) is most widely used; Robinson and Miller were derived from height-weight table data. Averaging all four smooths the differences.

Q: Is this chart medical advice?

No, it is educational reference content. Check with a physician or registered dietitian before making changes based on these numbers.

1

Find your height

Tap a height below to load your weight range, body measurements, and age-adjusted target.

5'5″ · 165 cm

65 in · 1.65 m

Men

— lbs

Healthy range: — lbs

Women

— lbs

Healthy range: — lbs

The single number shown is the average of four clinical formulas (see Section 3). The healthy range uses the CDC/WHO BMI window of 18.5–24.9.

Men · Reference

Chest	—
Waist	—
Hip	—
Waist : Height	—

Women · Reference

Bust	—
Waist	—
Hip	—
Waist : Hip	—

These are healthy reference proportions scaled from height, not fixed goals—frame and body composition shift them. Waist-to-height ratio under 0.5 is a stronger health marker than any single measurement.

Age	BMI Target	Healthy Weight

Based on Andres et al. (1985): the BMI linked to lowest mortality rises by about 1 point per decade after age 35.

2

Calculate your BMI

Enter your real height and weight to see where you fall on the standard CDC scale.

Units

Height & Weight

Your BMI

—

Healthy weight at your height: —

3

How "ideal weight" is calculated

BMI is the population health standard; four older clinical formulas estimate a single target weight instead.

BMI (CDC / WHO standard): (lbs ÷ in²) × 703 — healthy range is 18.5–24.9. This is the most evidence-based definition of a healthy weight, though it can't tell muscle from fat.

Formula	Men (over 5 ft)	Women (over 5 ft)	Note
Devine (1974)	50 kg + 2.3 kg/in	45.5 kg + 2.3 kg/in	Most widely cited; built for drug dosing
Hamwi (1964)	48 kg + 2.7 kg/in	45.5 kg + 2.2 kg/in	Early bedside nutrition formula
Robinson (1983)	52 kg + 1.9 kg/in	49 kg + 1.7 kg/in	Derived from height-weight table data
Miller (1983)	56.2 kg + 1.41 kg/in	53.1 kg + 1.36 kg/in	Tends to run slightly higher than the rest

None of these four is "correct" on its own—they were built for clinical estimation, not personal goals. The single number in the chart above averages all four.

4

What a chart can't see

Four factors that can shift the "right" number for you by 10+ pounds either way.

Frame size

Wrist under 6½″ (women) or 5½″ (men) suggests a small frame; add or subtract roughly 10% from the ideal-weight figure for large or small frames.

Muscle mass

BMI can't distinguish muscle from fat. A lean, muscular person often reads "overweight" on BMI alone despite being metabolically healthy.

Age

The BMI linked to lowest mortality rises about 1 point per decade after 35—see the By Age tab above.

Ethnicity

WHO recommends lower BMI action points (23 / 27.5) for Asian populations, who face elevated risk at lower BMI than the general standard.

5

Frequently Asked Questions

A healthy weight keeps BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, the CDC/WHO standard used throughout this chart. Tap your height above for the exact range and clinical formulas.

None is definitively correct—all four were built for clinical estimation, not personal goals. Devine (1974) is most widely used; Robinson and Miller were derived from height-weight table data. Averaging all four smooths the differences.

Yes. Andres et al. (1985) found the BMI linked to lowest mortality rises by about 1 point per decade after age 35, so a healthy weight at 65 is genuinely higher than at 25.

BMI is only weight divided by height squared—it can't distinguish muscle, fat, or bone. Waist-to-height ratio is a useful complement for this reason.

NHLBI guidelines flag increased risk above a 40-inch waist for men and 35 inches for women, regardless of height. A simpler rule: keep waist-to-height ratio under 0.5.

No—it's educational reference content built from published formulas and population data. Check with a physician or registered dietitian before making changes based on these numbers.

6

References

1Devine BJ. Gentamicin therapy. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1974;8:650–655.

2Hamwi GJ. Therapeutic considerations in obesity. In: Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Treatment, Vol. 1. American Diabetes Association; 1964.

3Robinson JD, et al. Determination of ideal body weight for drug dosage calculations. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40(6):1016–1019. PubMed

4Miller DR, et al. Determining ideal body weight. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1983;40:1622.

5Andres R, et al. Impact of age on weight goals. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103(6 Pt 2):1030–1033. PubMed

6WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate BMI for Asian populations. Lancet. 2004;363(9403):157–163. PubMed

7NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative Expert Panel. Clinical Guidelines on Overweight and Obesity. 1998. NCBI Bookshelf

8CDC. About Adult BMI. cdc.gov

Disclaimer. This chart is educational reference content, not medical advice. Individual health depends on factors a chart can't see—consult a physician or registered dietitian before making changes based on these numbers.

Ideal Weight by Height

Ideal Weight & Body Measurements by Height