Healthy Weight Ranges by Height and Region

"What should I weigh?" is one of the most commonly asked health questions, and the answer is more nuanced than a single number on a scale. Healthy weight ranges depend on height, sex, age, ethnicity, and the measurement framework being used. Understanding the different ways to define a healthy weight — and their respective limitations — helps you set meaningful, realistic personal targets.

BMI-Based Healthy Weight Ranges

The most widely used framework for healthy weight definition is the WHO BMI classification. For adults aged 18–65, the healthy BMI range of 18.5–24.9 translates to specific weight ranges by height:

Height	Healthy Weight Range (WHO)
155 cm (5'1")	44–60 kg (97–132 lbs)
160 cm (5'3")	47–64 kg (104–141 lbs)
165 cm (5'5")	50–68 kg (110–149 lbs)
170 cm (5'7")	53–72 kg (118–158 lbs)
175 cm (5'9")	57–76 kg (125–168 lbs)
180 cm (5'11")	60–81 kg (132–179 lbs)
185 cm (6'1")	63–85 kg (139–188 lbs)

Use Bmi to find your personal range. Remember that the lower end of the healthy range is as meaningful as the upper end — being underweight carries significant health risks including osteoporosis, immune suppression, infertility, and cardiac complications.

Bmi Formula

Asia-Pacific Weight Ranges

For people of East or South Asian descent, the Asia-Pacific BMI classification shifts the healthy range to 18.5–22.9, with the overweight threshold at 23 and the obesity threshold at 27.5. This produces somewhat lower weight targets at the upper end of the healthy range:

For example, a 170 cm person of East Asian descent should ideally weigh 53–66 kg (WHO range is 53–72 kg). The lower end is unchanged; the upper boundary shifts downward to reflect the evidence that Asian populations accumulate more visceral fat and cardiometabolic risk at lower BMI values.

The Devine Ideal Body Weight Formula

A different approach to healthy weight is the Devine formula, developed in 1974 by B.J. Devine for pharmaceutical dosing calculations (specifically to estimate ideal body weight for drug dosing in pharmacokinetics):

Ideal Body Weight Devine

For males: 50 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60) For females: 45.5 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60)

For a 175 cm (68.9 inch) male: 50 + 2.3 × (68.9 − 60) = 50 + 2.3 × 8.9 = 50 + 20.5 = 70.5 kg For a 175 cm female: 45.5 + 2.3 × 8.9 = 45.5 + 20.5 = 66 kg

Devine IBW corresponds approximately to a BMI of 21–22 for most heights — in the middle of the WHO healthy range but not at the boundaries. It is used clinically for drug dosing and ventilator settings but not as a general health target.

Children and Growth Percentiles

Children should never be assessed against adult BMI standards. Pediatric weight assessment uses BMI-for-age percentiles relative to a reference population of the same age and biological sex. The CDC growth charts (for the United States) and WHO growth standards (for international comparison, especially children under 5) are the primary references.

Pediatric BMI percentile categories: - Below 5th percentile: Underweight - 5th–84th percentile: Healthy weight - 85th–94th percentile: Overweight - 95th percentile or above: Obese

A 10-year-old boy at the 85th percentile has a BMI higher than 85% of 10-year-old boys in the reference population. Whether this represents a health concern depends on additional clinical assessment — the percentile system is a screening flag, not a diagnosis.

Healthy Weight in Older Adults

As discussed in the age and metabolic rate guide, the relationship between BMI and mortality reverses somewhat in older adults. Multiple large studies suggest that for people over 65:

• A BMI of 22–27 may be associated with lower mortality than the WHO "healthy" range of 18.5–24.9
• BMI slightly in the "overweight" range appears protective against the weight loss associated with illness, surgery, and aging
• Maintaining muscle mass becomes more important than achieving a low BMI

For older adults, functional assessments (grip strength, walking speed, ability to rise from a chair) and muscle mass measurements may be more clinically relevant targets than weight alone.

Waist Circumference as a Practical Complement

Given the limitations of BMI, many clinicians pair it with waist circumference:

• Men: Healthy below 94 cm; high risk above 102 cm
• Women: Healthy below 80 cm; high risk above 88 cm
• Asian populations: Lower thresholds recommended (men < 90 cm; women < 80 cm)

Waist-to-height ratio — keeping your waist circumference below half your height in the same unit — is a simple, population-independent target that many researchers consider superior to BMI for predicting cardiometabolic risk.

Setting a Personal Target

Rather than a single target weight, consider setting a range using BMI as one anchor and waist circumference as another. Aim to have a BMI between 20 and 23 (or 22–25 for older adults), a waist circumference below the risk thresholds for your sex and ethnicity, and — if you can assess it — a body fat percentage within the fitness category for your age and sex.

Use Bmi as the starting point for your calculation, and discuss with a healthcare provider if your weight history, body composition, or health conditions require more personalized assessment.