Ideal Weight Calculator
🇨🇦 Canada version
This calculator opens in feet, inches and pounds, which most Canadians use for height and weight. It runs six ideal weight formulas, shows their average, and prints the weight range for the Health Canada healthy band, BMI 18.5 to 24.9. It is a rough guide for adults, and a doctor can tell you what suits you.
Use Ideal Weight Calculator online
Advanced Ideal Weight Calculator & Tracker
Comprehensive weight analysis using multiple scientific formulas, body composition tracking, and personalized recommendations
Body Measurements
Ideal Weight Results
Individual Formula Results
BMI-Based Weight Ranges
Healthy range by BMI: 18.5 to 25 kg/m² (Health Canada adult body weight classification (2003), Health Canada: Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults). Health Canada says the classification applies to all ethnic groups, but clinicians should know its limits for non-white people.
Canada rules and figures
- Pounds and feet and inches are the opening units on the Canadian page, so results appear in lb with no converting.
- Health Canada's 2003 classification gives Healthy weight as BMI 18.5 to 24.9, with Overweight from 25 and Obesity from 30, and that band drives the BMI-based ranges.
- Health Canada says the classification applies to all ethnic groups, while advising clinicians to know its limits for non-white people.
- The classification is for adults 18 and over; for younger people Health Canada points to CDC growth charts.
Sources: Health Canada: Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults (checked 2026-11-08); Health Canada: Questions and answers for the public (checked 2026-11-08)
How the ideal weight calculator works
Feet and inches convert to centimetres at 2.54 cm per inch, six formulas run in kilograms, and results are rounded and shown in pounds.
Devine (women) = 45.5 + 2.3 × (inches − 60) kg. Hamwi (women) = 45.5 + 2.2 × (inches − 60) kg
- Height opens as 5 ft 7 in, and weight is shown in pounds. Switching to cm or kg changes only the display, and the choice is kept.
- The Healthy weight range is BMI 18.5 to 24.9 times height squared, converted to pounds. For someone of 5 ft 4 in the band is 107.8 to 145.1 lb.
- The target weight box in the Goals tab uses kilograms or pounds, and entries you save are stored in kilograms.
- Health Canada's classification is for adults of 18 and over, so the ranges are not for children.
How to use the ideal weight calculator
- Enter feet and inches. The page starts on ft with two boxes. Switch Height Unit to cm if you prefer.
- Add your weight in pounds. This box is optional. With a weight in it, the page says whether you are inside the healthy band.
- Choose gender. On the Profile tab, Gender decides whether the men's or women's formulas run.
- Read all six results. Individual Formula Results lists each formula in pounds, with BMI-Based Weight Ranges underneath.
- Save or share. Save Entry records a dated weight, and Copy or Export sends the results elsewhere.
Example: 5 ft 4 in woman, results in pounds
For a woman of 5 ft 4 in the highest result is Miller at 129 lb and the lowest is Broca at 117.3 lb, with an average of 122.4 lb. The Health Canada healthy band for that height runs from 107.8 to 145.1 lb, so a woman at 130 lb would be told she is inside it.
When to use the ideal weight calculator
- Comparing formulas in pounds. See how far Hamwi and Miller sit apart for your height without converting units.
- Finding your healthy band. Read the Health Canada band in pounds for any height between about 3 ft 3 in and 8 ft 2 in.
- Building a conversation with your doctor. Take the band and the average and ask which, if either, is a sensible target for you.
What the ideal weight calculator does not do
- Nothing but height and gender reaches the formulas, so muscle, frame size and age are never considered.
- Health Canada notes limits of its classification for non-white people, and the page cannot adjust for them.
- Activity Level, Body Type and Calculation Method are saved in the profile but do not alter the figures.
- Results are estimates, and a doctor can advise on a realistic weight.
When something else is a better fit
- When you want a BMI figure with the Health Canada label, use the BMI Calculator.
- When you want body fat estimated from tape measures, use the Body Fat Calculator.
- When you want a target tied to a medical condition, use a doctor or dietitian, who can weigh up your medical background as well.
Questions about the ideal weight calculator
Are these ideal weights set by Health Canada?
No. The six formulas are classic published estimates. Health Canada supplies only the healthy BMI band, 18.5 to 24.9, which the page converts into a weight range for your height.
What goes in the Feet and Inches boxes?
Leave Height Unit on ft, type 5 in Feet and 4 in Inches for 5 ft 4 in. The page converts it to centimetres internally and shows the height back to you as centimetres and feet and inches.
Why do two formulas differ by 11 lb?
They were built from different groups, so at 5 ft 4 in Miller gives 129 lb while Broca gives 117.3 lb for a woman. That spread is why the page shows an average as well.
Can I use kilograms?
Yes. Change Weight Unit to kg and the results, the healthy band and your optional current weight all switch to kilograms. The choice stays for your next visit.