Formula, in Body Composition

Ideal Weight Formula (Devine 1974)

Devine's 1974 equation was built for drug dosing, not aesthetics. It pegs a 'reference' weight at 152 cm and adds linearly above that. Treat it as one input among several, not a target.

2 variables. Published Mar 12, 2026. Updated May 10, 2026. By AI Fit Hub.

Education, not medical advice. The result comes only from the published formula and your inputs. How we check our formulas.

Formula

Devine — Male:   IBW_kg = 50  + 2.3·(height_in − 60)
Devine — Female: IBW_kg = 45.5 + 2.3·(height_in − 60)

Variables

IBW

Ideal Body Weight

Kilograms. Originally a dosing reference, now repurposed for general 'reference weight at this height' questions — with caveats.

height_in

Height

Inches. Multiply cm by 0.3937 to convert.

Step by step

1

Convert height to inches if you measured in centimeters.

178 cm × 0.3937 = 70.07 in.
2

Subtract 60 inches (the Devine reference height for both sexes).

70.07 − 60 = 10.07 inches above reference.
3

Multiply the difference by 2.3 kg.

10.07 × 2.3 = 23.16 kg above the baseline.
4

Add the sex-specific baseline: 50 kg for men, 45.5 kg for women.

Male: 50 + 23.16 = 73.16 kg. Female at the same height: 45.5 + 23.16 = 68.66 kg.

Worked example

Male, 178 cm

Sex

Male

Height (cm)

178

IBW = 50 + 2.3·(70.07 − 60) = 50 + 23.16 = 73.16 kg

Devine 'ideal' 73.2 kg at 178 cm. A muscular trained male typically lands 5–10 kg above this without elevated body fat.

Common variations

Robinson (1983): male 52 + 1.9·(in−60); female 49 + 1.7·(in−60). Updated coefficients.

Miller (1983): male 56.2 + 1.41·(in−60). Lower estimates than Devine.

Hamwi (1964): male 48 + 2.7·(in−60). Earliest of the four, mostly historical interest.

Run the numbers next

Body Composition BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI quickly with a plain-language range explanation and limitations.
Planning Body Recomposition Planner
Plan body-fat reduction pace, deficit targets, and protein needs around a timeline.

Questions people ask next

What is the ideal weight (Devine) formula?

Devine's 1974 equation sets ideal body weight from height in inches: men IBW_kg = 50 + 2.3·(height_in − 60) and women IBW_kg = 45.5 + 2.3·(height_in − 60). It pegs a reference weight at 60 inches (152 cm) and adds 2.3 kg for every inch above that.

How do I calculate ideal weight if I measured my height in centimeters?

Convert centimeters to inches by multiplying by 0.3937, then apply the Devine equation. For example, 178 cm × 0.3937 = 70.07 inches; subtract 60 to get 10.07 inches above reference, multiply by 2.3 (= 23.16 kg), and add the baseline — giving a male IBW of 50 + 23.16 = 73.16 kg.

What are the Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi ideal weight formulas?

They are alternative variants of the same height-based model. Robinson (1983): male 52 + 1.9·(in−60), female 49 + 1.7·(in−60). Miller (1983): male 56.2 + 1.41·(in−60), which gives lower estimates than Devine. Hamwi (1964): male 48 + 2.7·(in−60), the earliest and mostly of historical interest.

Is the Devine ideal weight a good target for a muscular or athletic person?

No — Devine's equation was built for drug dosing, not aesthetics or athletic performance, so it should be treated as one input among several rather than a target. A muscular trained male typically lands 5-10 kg above the Devine 'ideal' without elevated body fat.

Sources

Pai MP, Paloucek FP. The origin of the 'ideal' body weight equations , Annals of Pharmacotherapy (2000)