Devine Ideal Weight Calculator

Get your Devine ideal body weight from height and sex.

Result

70.46 kg
63.42 kg
77.51 kg

How it is calculated

The tool converts height to inches and applies the Devine formula: IBW = base + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60), with inches = height_cm ÷ 2.54. The base is 50 kg for the male setting and 45.5 kg for any other choice. If no sex is given, the male base is used. It then shows a range of 90% to 110% of that figure, IBW × 0.9 to IBW × 1.1, as a tolerance band. Height is in centimetres and must lie between 50 and 272 cm, otherwise no result is shown. The formula also gives no result when it would come out at zero or below, which happens under about 98 cm for the male base and 103 cm for the female base. It was built for adult heights around and above 5 feet (152.4 cm); outside that, treat the number with caution. It ignores age, build and muscle mass.

Worked example

A man is 175 cm tall. Step 1: convert to inches: 175 ÷ 2.54 = 68.90 inches. Step 2: that is 8.90 inches over 5 feet (60 inches). Step 3: 2.3 × 8.90 = 20.46 kg added to the male base of 50 kg. The Devine ideal body weight is 70.46 kg. The 90% to 110% band runs from 63.42 kg to 77.51 kg. At exactly 152.4 cm (5 feet) the formula returns the base, 50.00 kg.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering height in inches or feet. The field is in centimetres, so typing 69 is below the 50-272 cm range for a person and, if read as 69 cm, gives no result.
  • Reading the single figure as a target everyone should reach. Use the 90%-110% band, and remember the formula ignores muscle, bone structure and age.
  • Forgetting to select sex. The male base of 50 kg is used by default, which is 4.5 kg higher than the female base.
  • Using it for a child. The formula is built on adult proportions and does not apply to growing children; a short height can even give no result.
  • Using the result for medication dosing at home. Dosing by ideal body weight is decided by a clinician; this number is an estimate, not a prescription.

Sources

About this calculator

The Devine formula, published by Dr. B.J. Devine in 1974, is one of the most widely used methods for estimating ideal body weight from height and sex: for men, it starts at 50 kg for 5 feet of height and adds 2.3 kg for every inch over 5 feet; for women, it starts at 45.5 kg and adds the same 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet.

Despite being decades old and originally created as a rough estimate, the Devine formula is still the standard reference used in clinical medicine today for weight-based drug dosing — many medications, especially those dosed by body weight in hospital settings, use Devine ideal body weight rather than actual body weight to calculate a safe dose. This calculator applies the formula directly to your height and sex to return the Devine ideal weight.

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