Healthy weight calculator

What is a healthy weight range?

For adults, the CDC and the WHO describe a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9 as the healthy weight range. This calculator works backward from your height to show the weights that fall inside that band. It is a broad screening range for adults, not a number you need to hit.

How it is calculated

BMI is weight divided by height squared. Working backward, the low end of the range is 18.5 times your height in meters squared, and the high end is 24.9 times your height in meters squared, giving a weight in kilograms that is converted to pounds if you use imperial units. The low end is rounded up and the high end rounded down, so both stay inside the healthy band.

What this range can't tell you

Because it is built on BMI, it shares BMI's limits. It cannot tell muscle from fat, so a very muscular person can sit above the range with little body fat. It says nothing about where fat is carried, which matters for health. It can be less accurate for older adults, and for many people of Asian descent health risks can rise at a lower BMI, so some guidelines use lower cut-offs. It does not apply during pregnancy or to children and teens, who are assessed with age- and sex-specific percentiles instead.

Common questions

Is my ideal weight the middle of the range?

Not necessarily. Any weight inside the range is in the healthy BMI band, and the right weight for you depends on your body composition, history, and health, which is worth discussing with a provider.

What if I am outside the range?

Being outside the range is a prompt to look closer with a provider, not a verdict on your health. Measures such as waist size, blood work, and how you feel add important context.

Can I use this for my child?

No. This range is for adults aged 20 and over. Children and teens are assessed with BMI-for-age percentiles that account for growth, age, and sex, which a pediatric provider can interpret.