Calculate your ideal body weight using the Devine formula — the most commonly used IBW calculation in clinical medicine for drug dosing, nutrition planning, and tidal volume estimation.
The Devine formula (1974) is one of the most widely used ideal body weight (IBW) equations in clinical practice. It was originally proposed as a dosing reference and later became a common shortcut for estimating a height-based reference weight in pharmacy, ventilation, and nutrition workflows.
The formula uses a base weight at 5 feet of height and adds a fixed amount for each additional inch. That makes it easy to apply consistently, but it also means the result is only a reference value rather than a personalized definition of what someone should weigh.
That distinction matters. "Ideal" body weight in this context is a practical calculation anchor, not a personal health target. Muscularity, body frame, ethnicity, older age, edema, pregnancy, and clinical context can all make an individual's healthiest weight differ from the Devine estimate.
The Devine formula is useful because many medical and pharmacy references still express dosing or ventilation assumptions relative to ideal body weight. If you want to understand those calculations, knowing the Devine estimate gives you the same reference point those formulas are using.
Outside that context, the number is best treated as orientation rather than a verdict. A healthy adult weight range is broader than any single IBW equation, and actual goals should be individualized.
Men: IBW = 50.0 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60) Women: IBW = 45.5 + 2.3 × (height in inches − 60) Result in kg. For heights below 5'0", the base value is adjusted downward. Healthy range: IBW ± 10%
Result: IBW: 73.0 kg (161 lbs) | Healthy range: 65.7–80.3 kg (145–177 lbs)
For a male at 5'10" (70 inches): IBW = 50.0 + 2.3 × (70 − 60) = 50.0 + 23.0 = 73.0 kg (161 lbs). The healthy range (±10%) is 65.7–80.3 kg (145–177 lbs). This is a clinical reference, not a personal target.
| Formula | Men (5'10") | Women (5'5") | Year | |---|---|---|---| | Devine | 73.0 kg | 57.0 kg | 1974 | | Robinson | 71.0 kg | 57.5 kg | 1983 | | Miller | 72.3 kg | 60.5 kg | 1983 | | Hamwi | 75.0 kg | 57.3 kg | 1964 |
The Devine IBW is deeply embedded in clinical practice: ventilator tidal volumes (6–8 mL per kg IBW), gentamicin dosing, phenytoin loading doses, and caloric need calculations. Anesthesiologists, ICU physicians, and pharmacists rely on it daily. While newer body composition measurements are more accurate for individual assessment, IBW remains indispensable for quick clinical calculations.
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This page applies the Devine ideal body weight equation using the standard sex-specific base values at 5 feet of height and the usual per-inch adjustment above that point. It also shows a simple ±10% reference band and compares the Devine result with Robinson, Miller, and Hamwi estimates so users can see how much the different height-based formulas diverge.
The result is intended as a clinical reference weight rather than a personal health target. Ideal body weight equations are shortcuts used in some dosing, ventilation, and nutrition workflows, but they do not directly measure body composition, frame size, or physical fitness.
The Devine formula gained widespread adoption because it was published in a widely-read drug dosing reference (Gentamicin therapy, 1974) and subsequently embedded in medical textbooks, ventilator protocols, and pharmacy guidelines. Its simplicity (linear equation, easy mental math) made it practical for bedside use. While not necessarily more accurate than alternatives, its ubiquity in clinical practice has made it the default standard.
The formula has known limitations. It was derived empirically rather than from large population studies, tends to underestimate ideal weight for shorter people and overestimate for very tall people, and doesn't account for frame size, ethnicity, or age. For clinical purposes (drug dosing, ventilation), it's been validated through decades of use. For personal weight goals, it's best used as one data point among several.
The Devine formula was designed for heights ≥ 60 inches (5'0"). Below this height, the formula technically yields negative corrections (subtracting from the base weight). Some clinicians use the base value (50 kg for men, 45.5 kg for women) as a minimum, while others switch to BMI-based estimates for shorter stature. The formula is least reliable at very short or very tall heights.
Devine gives the lowest values among the four major formulas, especially for taller individuals. Robinson (1983) gives slightly higher results, Miller gives the highest values, and Hamwi falls in between. The differences can be 3–8 kg depending on height. Using the average of all four formulas may provide a more balanced estimate.
IBW is a clinical reference point, not necessarily a personal target. A healthy weight range is broader — BMI 18.5–24.9 defines "normal weight" for a wide span. A fit, muscular person might weigh 15–20% above their Devine IBW and be perfectly healthy. Use IBW as general orientation, but consider body composition, fitness level, and overall health markers for personal goals.
Adjusted Body Weight (ABW) accounts for the fact that excess fat tissue also contains some lean tissue. ABW = IBW + 0.4 × (actual weight − IBW). It's used for drug dosing in obese patients, where using actual weight would overdose and using IBW would underdose. The 0.4 factor represents the approximate proportion of lean tissue in excess weight.