UK weight-loss calculator
Ideal weight calculator
See the healthy weight range for your height. Not a single number, a range, which is a more honest answer than any one figure.
Updated
I’m cm tall, and my background is .
1your height still to fill
The background question is optional. The NHS applies lower BMI thresholds for some family backgrounds, which shifts the healthy range. Leave it as it is if you would rather not say.
Enter your height to see the healthy weight range for it, in stone, pounds or kilograms.
Why a range rather than one number
There is no such thing as one ideal weight for a given height. What exists is a range within which most people of that height are likely to be at a healthy weight, and even that is a population-level statement rather than a fact about any individual.
This calculator gives you the weight range corresponding to a healthy BMI for your height. Where you sit inside it depends on your build and how much muscle you carry, neither of which BMI can see.
On the phrase "ideal weight"
We use it because it is what people search for, but "healthy weight range" is the more accurate term and the one we use in the results. A single ideal figure implies a precision that does not exist.
How is this calculated?
We take the healthy BMI range and work backwards to find which weights produce it at your height.
weight (kg) = BMI × height (m)²For most adults that means a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. If you select an Asian, Black African, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern family background, the upper bound drops to just under 23, following the lower thresholds the NHS applies for those groups[NHS].
Why not the Devine or Hamwi formula?
Older formulas such as Devine, Robinson and Hamwi each return a single "ideal body weight" figure, and they disagree with one another, often by several kilograms for the same person. Several originated as tools for calculating medication doses rather than as health guidance, and none is a UK standard.
Deriving the range from BMI instead means this page agrees with the BMI calculator, uses thresholds we can actually cite, and returns an honest range rather than false precision.
Limitations
- It inherits every limitation of BMI: it cannot distinguish muscle from fat, and it says nothing about where fat is stored.
- A muscular person may sit above the range while being perfectly healthy.
- It does not account for frame size, age or ethnicity beyond the two threshold sets offered.
- It is not appropriate during pregnancy, or for children and teenagers.
If your weight is above the range, that is not a verdict. Losing 5 to 10% of your body weight is associated with real health benefits and is a far more useful first goal than reaching the top of a range. The weight loss calculator can show you what that would involve.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I weigh for my height?
Enter your height above and the calculator will show the range that corresponds to a healthy BMI. As an example, someone 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) has a healthy range of roughly 8 st 6 lb to 11 st 4 lb, or 53.5 kg to 72 kg.
Is the ideal weight different for men and women?
The BMI-based healthy range is the same for both, because BMI uses only height and weight. On average men carry more lean tissue at a given height, so they often sit higher within the range, but the range itself does not differ.
What if I am above the healthy range?
It is worth looking at alongside other measures, such as your waist-to-height ratio, rather than treating it as conclusive on its own. If you would like to change your weight, a first goal of 5% is well evidenced, achievable and arrives much sooner than reaching the range.
Sources
Important information
The calculators on this site provide general information and estimates. They are not medical advice and they do not diagnose any condition.
Everyone is different, and individual energy needs vary for reasons these equations cannot capture. If you have a health condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have any concerns about your weight, speak to your GP, pharmacist or a registered dietitian.