VoltraIdeal weight for your height: a 150 to 190 cm table and the Saudi Ministry of Health formula
The Saudi Ministry of Health's ideal-weight calculator works out 22 × your height in metres, squared: the weight at which your BMI would be 22 [1]. It asks only your height, not your sex or age. At 170 cm that's 63.6 kg (calculated).
For most adults a healthy BMI is 18.5 to 24.9 [4], which at 170 cm is 53.5 to 72.0 kg (calculated). So the "ideal" is one point in a range about 18 kg wide, and none of the older formulas uses your age either [5].
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How the Ministry of Health works it out
The calculator on the Ministry's website takes one input, your height in centimetres (105 to 250), and its script returns 22 × your height in metres, squared, rounded to two decimals [1]. At 1.70 m: 22 × 1.70 × 1.70 = 63.58 kg. There's no box for sex, age or frame size.
That's the BMI formula run backwards. BMI is your weight in kg divided by your height in metres squared [3], so the Ministry's ideal weight is simply the weight at a BMI of 22. Its own BMI calculator calls 18.5 to 24.9 a normal weight [2], and 22 sits near the middle of that range.
It also sits inside the narrower range England's NICE uses for people of Middle Eastern, South Asian and some other backgrounds, whose health risks start at a lower BMI: for them, overweight starts at 23 [4]. Our BMI guide explains those cut-offs.
Ideal weight by height, 150 to 190 cm
| Height | Ministry of Health ideal weight (BMI 22) | Healthy range (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 49.5 kg | 41.6 to 56.0 kg |
| 151 cm | 50.2 kg | 42.2 to 56.8 kg |
| 152 cm | 50.8 kg | 42.7 to 57.5 kg |
| 153 cm | 51.5 kg | 43.3 to 58.3 kg |
| 154 cm | 52.2 kg | 43.9 to 59.1 kg |
| 155 cm | 52.9 kg | 44.4 to 59.8 kg |
| 156 cm | 53.5 kg | 45.0 to 60.6 kg |
| 157 cm | 54.2 kg | 45.6 to 61.4 kg |
| 158 cm | 54.9 kg | 46.2 to 62.2 kg |
| 159 cm | 55.6 kg | 46.8 to 62.9 kg |
| 160 cm | 56.3 kg | 47.4 to 63.7 kg |
| 161 cm | 57.0 kg | 48.0 to 64.5 kg |
| 162 cm | 57.7 kg | 48.6 to 65.3 kg |
| 163 cm | 58.5 kg | 49.2 to 66.2 kg |
| 164 cm | 59.2 kg | 49.8 to 67.0 kg |
| 165 cm | 59.9 kg | 50.4 to 67.8 kg |
| 166 cm | 60.6 kg | 51.0 to 68.6 kg |
| 167 cm | 61.4 kg | 51.6 to 69.4 kg |
| 168 cm | 62.1 kg | 52.2 to 70.3 kg |
| 169 cm | 62.8 kg | 52.8 to 71.1 kg |
| 170 cm | 63.6 kg | 53.5 to 72.0 kg |
| 171 cm | 64.3 kg | 54.1 to 72.8 kg |
| 172 cm | 65.1 kg | 54.7 to 73.7 kg |
| 173 cm | 65.8 kg | 55.4 to 74.5 kg |
| 174 cm | 66.6 kg | 56.0 to 75.4 kg |
| 175 cm | 67.4 kg | 56.7 to 76.3 kg |
| 176 cm | 68.1 kg | 57.3 to 77.1 kg |
| 177 cm | 68.9 kg | 58.0 to 78.0 kg |
| 178 cm | 69.7 kg | 58.6 to 78.9 kg |
| 179 cm | 70.5 kg | 59.3 to 79.8 kg |
| 180 cm | 71.3 kg | 59.9 to 80.7 kg |
| 181 cm | 72.1 kg | 60.6 to 81.6 kg |
| 182 cm | 72.9 kg | 61.3 to 82.5 kg |
| 183 cm | 73.7 kg | 62.0 to 83.4 kg |
| 184 cm | 74.5 kg | 62.6 to 84.3 kg |
| 185 cm | 75.3 kg | 63.3 to 85.2 kg |
| 186 cm | 76.1 kg | 64.0 to 86.1 kg |
| 187 cm | 76.9 kg | 64.7 to 87.1 kg |
| 188 cm | 77.8 kg | 65.4 to 88.0 kg |
| 189 cm | 78.6 kg | 66.1 to 88.9 kg |
| 190 cm | 79.4 kg | 66.8 to 89.9 kg |
All calculated: the ideal weight with the Ministry of Health's formula [1], the range from a healthy BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 [4], rounded to 0.1 kg. For adults only. On NICE's lower cut-offs for Middle Eastern backgrounds, the healthy range ends at a BMI of 22.9, which is 66.2 kg at 170 cm; the calculator above works it out for your height.
The classic formulas: Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi and Broca
Before BMI, doctors used formulas that add a fixed weight for every inch of height over 5 feet (152.4 cm). A 2016 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition lists them [5]. Here they are for someone 170 cm tall:
| Formula | Man, 170 cm (kg, calculated) | Woman, 170 cm (kg, calculated) |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Ministry of Health [1] 22 × height in metres, squared | 63.6 | 63.6 |
| Devine, 1974 [5] Men 50 kg, women 45.5 kg, plus 2.3 kg for each inch over 5 feet | 65.9 | 61.4 |
| Robinson, 1983 [5] Men 52 kg plus 1.9 kg for each inch over 5 feet; women 49 kg plus 1.7 kg | 65.2 | 60.8 |
| Miller, 1983 [5] Men 56.2 kg plus 1.41 kg for each inch over 5 feet; women 53.1 kg plus 1.36 kg | 66.0 | 62.5 |
| Hamwi, 1964 [5] Men 106 lb plus 6 lb for each inch over 5 feet; women 100 lb plus 5 lb | 66.9 | 61.1 |
| Broca, 1871 [5] Height in cm minus 100 | 70.0 | 70.0 |
| Peterson and colleagues, 2016, at a BMI of 22 [5] 2.2 × BMI + 3.5 × BMI × (height in metres − 1.5) | 63.8 | 63.8 |
The formulas as Table 3 of Peterson and colleagues lists them [5]. 170 cm is 6.9 inches over 5 feet; Hamwi's pounds are converted to kg.
For a 170 cm man the formulas land between 63.6 and 70 kg, all inside the healthy range of 53.5 to 72.0 kg. The paper found that, matched to BMI, they correspond to BMIs of 21.0 to 24.3, and that all but Robinson's drift from BMI by 2.1% or more across the range of heights; earlier work had found they underestimate weight for shorter people and overestimate it for taller ones [5]. Below 5 feet they don't apply at all: they start at 60 inches [5].
A 2000 review traced them to old height-and-weight tables, whose weights were linked with lower death rates, which is where the words "desirable" and "ideal" came from [6]. Devine's formula spread because the way some drugs behave in the body tracks it [6], and Robinson's and Miller's were also made for drug dosing, from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's 1959 and 1983 tables [5].
Men and women
The Ministry of Health's calculator gives men and women the same number [1]. The older formulas give women less: about 3.5 to 6 kg less at 170 cm, except Broca's, which is the same for both (calculated from [5]). NICE's healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 doesn't differ between men and women [4].
By age: none of the formulas uses it
Some tables online give a different ideal weight for each age. None of the formulas on this page has an age in it, the Ministry of Health's included [1][5]. The authors of the 2016 paper point out that there's no single ideal weight that fits every age and ethnicity [5]. What does change with age:
- Children and teenagers: the WHO judges 5 to 19 year olds by BMI-for-age, not by the adult cut-offs [3], so this page's table doesn't apply to them.
- Over 65: NICE advises reading BMI with caution, partly because a slightly higher BMI may protect older people [4].
Is my weight right for my height?
Three questions people ask, worked through (all calculated):
- 170 cm: the Ministry's ideal weight is 63.6 kg; a healthy BMI is 53.5 to 72.0 kg, or up to 66.2 kg on NICE's lower cut-offs.
- 80 kg at 165 cm: a BMI of 29.4. That's overweight on the WHO's definition (25 or more) [3], and in NICE's obesity range for Middle Eastern backgrounds (27.5 or more) [4]. The healthy range at 165 cm is 50.4 to 67.8 kg.
- 163 cm: the Ministry's ideal weight is 58.5 kg; a healthy BMI is 49.2 to 66.2 kg.
A lot of muscle can push you over the line with little fat: NICE says to interpret BMI with caution in adults with high muscle mass [4]. Our BMI guide also checks your waist-to-height ratio. If you want to reach a different weight, our calorie calculator works out how much to eat.
In Voltra
Voltra doesn't work out an ideal weight for you. It shows your BMI on your profile in the You tab, and your goal weight is yours to choose: on the Eat tab, tap Adjust budget, then Change goal or activity, and set your goal weight and how many weeks to take. Voltra sizes your daily calorie target from that.
Frequently asked
How do I calculate my ideal weight?
Multiply 22 by your height in metres, squared. That's what the Saudi Ministry of Health's calculator does. At 1.70 m: 22 × 1.70 × 1.70 = 63.6 kg.
If I'm 170 cm tall, how much should I weigh?
The Ministry of Health's ideal weight for 170 cm is 63.6 kg, and a healthy BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is 53.5 to 72.0 kg (calculated). On NICE's lower cut-offs for Middle Eastern backgrounds, the healthy range ends at 66.2 kg.
Is 80 kg OK for 165 cm?
80 kg at 165 cm is a BMI of 29.4 (calculated): overweight on the WHO's definition, and in the obesity range on NICE's lower cut-offs for Middle Eastern backgrounds. A healthy BMI at 165 cm is 50.4 to 67.8 kg. BMI reads high if you carry a lot of muscle, so check your waist too.
What is the ideal weight for my age?
None of the formulas uses age, the Ministry of Health's included: it asks only your height. For adults, the healthy BMI range doesn't change with age, though NICE advises caution over 65. For 5 to 19 year olds, the WHO uses BMI-for-age instead.
Is the ideal weight different for men and women?
Not in the Ministry of Health's calculator, which gives both the same number. The older formulas give women less: at 170 cm, Devine's gives 65.9 kg for a man and 61.4 kg for a woman (calculated).
Which ideal weight formula is the most accurate?
None of them gives one right weight. A 2016 paper found that the old formulas drift away from BMI at short and tall heights, and that they give one number where most clinicians favour a range, such as a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Ideal Body Weight (IBW) Calculator. We read the page's script: CalculateIBW returns 22 × height in metres squared, rounded to two decimals. Height 105 to 250 cm, and no other input. The Arabic page runs the same script.
- Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator. The script labels a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 normal weight and 25 to 29.9 overweight.
- World Health Organization (2025). Obesity and overweight (fact sheet). Page dated 8 December 2025. Definitions for adults and for children aged 5 to 19.
- NICE (2022). Overweight and obesity management (NG246): identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity, recommendations 1.9.10–1.9.13. Recommendations 1.9.10–1.9.13.
- Peterson CM, Thomas DM, Blackburn GL, Heymsfield SB (2016). Universal equation for estimating ideal body weight and body weight at any BMI. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 103(5):1197–1203. Introduction, Tables 3 and 4, and Discussion.
- Pai MP, Paloucek FP (2000). The origin of the "ideal" body weight equations. Annals of Pharmacotherapy 34(9):1066–1069. We read the abstract.
Sources checked on 6 October 2026.
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