A healthy weight for an adult is any weight that gives a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. At 5 ft 4 in that is 108 to 145 lb, at 5 ft 9 in 125 to 168 lb, and at 6 ft 0 in 137 to 183 lb; in metric, 53.4 to 72.1 kg at 170 cm. For adults of Asian background the healthy range usually ends at a BMI of 22.9, which lowers the top of the range by about 8%.
Enter your height for your own range. Add your weight to see where you are in it, and pick other cut-offs if they apply to you.
Worked example
Height: 5 ft 6 inBMI cut-offs: WHO / CDC (international)
Healthy weight for 5 ft 6 in: 115–154 lb BMI 18.5–24.9
That is every weight from a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 at 5 ft 6 in. Under the Asian cut-offs (18.5 to 22.9) the range at the same height is 115 to 142 lb.
Open this example in the calculator →How to use the Healthy Weight Calculator
- Choose US or metric units and enter your height.
- Optionally enter your weight to see where it sits in the range.
- Choose the BMI cut-offs: WHO/CDC for most adults, or Asian or national ones.
- Read the healthy weight range for your height, and the ranges for the heights around yours.
Healthy weight by height
| Height | Healthy weight (BMI 18.5–24.9) | Asian cut-offs (18.5–22.9) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in (147 cm) | 89–119 lb | 89–109 lb |
| 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) | 95–127 lb | 95–117 lb |
| 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) | 101–136 lb | 101–125 lb |
| 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 108–145 lb | 108–133 lb |
| 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | 115–154 lb | 115–142 lb |
| 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | 122–164 lb | 122–150 lb |
| 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 129–173 lb | 129–159 lb |
| 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 137–183 lb | 137–169 lb |
| 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | 144–194 lb | 144–178 lb |
| 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | 152–204 lb | 152–188 lb |
Each range is every whole-pound weight whose BMI, rounded to one decimal, is in the healthy band — the way the CDC states its own figures. The BMI chart covers every inch and the kilogram equivalents.
How the range is worked out
BMI is weight divided by height squared, so the weight at any BMI is that BMI times your height in meters, squared. At 1.70 m: 18.5 × 1.70² = 53.5 kg and 24.9 × 1.70² = 72.0 kg. (The calculator shows 53.4 to 72.1 kg, a shade wider, because BMI is rounded to one decimal: 53.4 kg is a BMI of 18.48, which rounds to 18.5.) In pounds, the range is the BMI times your height in inches squared, divided by 703. Because height is squared, the range widens as people get taller: it spans 30 lb at 4 ft 10 in and 52 lb at 6 ft 4 in.
Healthy weight, ideal weight and goal weight
- Healthy weight is a range — the weights at which, across large groups, health risks are lowest. It is what most guidelines use.
- Ideal body weight is a single figure from formulas such as Devine's, used in medicine mainly to dose drugs and set ventilators. It usually lands in the lower half of the healthy range. See the ideal weight calculator.
- Goal weight is your own target. For someone above the range, losing 5 to 10% of body weight brings real health benefits even before reaching it — the goal weight calculator plans the timing.
When the range does not fit
The BMI range is for adults aged 20 and over. It does not apply to children and teens (use the BMI calculator for kids), to pregnancy, or well to very muscular people. After 65, weight at the lower end of the range is linked with more risk, not less — see the BMI calculator for seniors.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy weight for my height?
Any weight that gives a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. For example: 5 ft 0 in, 95–127 lb; 5 ft 4 in, 108–145 lb; 5 ft 8 in, 122–164 lb; 6 ft 0 in, 137–183 lb. Enter your height above for yours.
What should I weigh at 5 ft 5 in?
A healthy weight at 5 ft 5 in is 111 to 149 lb (50.3 to 68 kg). For adults of Asian background, 111 to 137 lb.
What is a healthy weight for a 5 ft 10 in man?
129 to 173 lb, the same as for a woman of that height. Men often weigh more within the range because they carry more muscle.
Is the healthy weight range different for women and men?
No. The BMI range is the same for both. Women usually carry more body fat at the same weight, which is why a waist measurement or body-fat estimate can add something to the number.
What is a healthy weight in kg for 165 cm?
50.3 to 67.9 kg, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Under the Asian cut-offs, 50.3 to 62.4 kg.
Why is the range so wide?
Because height is squared, and because healthy adults differ in build and muscle. Across large groups, risk of illness changes little within the range; it rises below it and above it.
Sources
- Adult BMI Categories — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Obesity and overweight (fact sheet) — World Health Organization
- Calculate Your Body Mass Index — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
- WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004;363:157–163 — The Lancet
- Overweight and obesity management (NG246), 2025 — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 — U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
For general information only — not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a doctor. How we calculate.