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How do you calculate your standard weight using Devine’s formula? Dr Devine’s formula, which dates back to 1974 and was originally used for dosing drugs, has been widely used in English-speaking countries. However, this formula does not take age into account and is not very accurate for small-framed women. In this case, to calculate the ideal weight more accurately, it is better to use the Lorentz formula.
For more precision on your ideal weight, other tools are available on our site, such as the Monnerot-Dumaine method with wrist size, the Creff method accounting for body type and age, or the Lorentz method considering sex and height.
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Find out how to calculate your ideal body weight using Devine’s formula
This formula was devised by Dr B.J. Devine in 1974. It was originally designed to be used for dosing certain medicinal substances. Widely used in English-speaking countries, this formula was used by major medical and pharmaceutical journals between 1974 and 2000.
The ideal weight, according to Devine’s formula, is calculated on the basis of two parameters:
- Gender
- Height in inches
Discover the formulas:
Ideal weight for men (in kg) = 50 (kg) 2.3 x [Height (in inches*) – 60]
Ideal female weight (in kg) = 45.5 (kg) 2.3 x [Height (in inches*) – 60]
* one inch represents 2.54 centimetres
The pros and cons of Devine’s formula:
Advantages: it allows you to go from a given height in inches to an ideal weight in kilograms.
Disadvantages: the formula does not take age into account. Approximate formula.
Can we talk about an “ideal weight calculator”?
Yes and no. We can talk about a healthy weight if it refers to a weight that is considered healthy for a given person based on individual characteristics such as age, height, gender and body composition. However, it is important to note that healthy weight can vary considerably from one person to another and that there is no single, universal definition of healthy weight.
It is possible that the notion of a healthy weight has been overused, due to the focus on thinness and the obsession with weight loss in today’s society. The media, diet and fitness industries can propagate misconceptions about weight and bodies, which can lead to eating disorders and negative body image.
We’ll never stop saying it, but it’s important to focus on overall health, rather than weight alone, by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and regular physical activity. It’s also important to free yourself from the obsession with weight loss and not allow yourself to be influenced by social norms and body stereotypes.
All the formulas for calculating your ideal weight
The Lorentz formula, created by Dr Friedrich Lorentz (a member of the Department of Sports Hygiene at the Hamburg Institute) in 1929, is based on the Broca Index and it contains additional parameters, such as the person’s height and sex.
Advantage: It is the most common formula used these days to estimate your ideal weight.
Disadvantage: It’s an approximate formula as it does not take into account age or morphology.
Ideal weight for men(in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 – ((height in cm – 150) /4))
Ideal weight for women(in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 – ((height in cm – 150) /2.5))
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is based on a weight-to-height ratio and it is used to determine and assess the risks associated with being underweight or obese.
In order to provide an even more accurate estimate of your ideal weight, this formula takes into account another parameter in addition to your height: your bone structure.
Advantage: It includes bone structure its calculation, and muscle mass to a certain extent.
Disadvantage: The calculation formula is approximate.
Ideal weight (in kg) = (Height in cm – 100 4 x Wrist circumference in cm) / 2
This is the oldest formula to calculate your ideal body weight: It was invented by Dr Paul Broca, a French surgeon, in 1871.
Advantage: It’s a simple formula that is easy to calculate.
Disadvantage: It’s an approximate calculation: It overestimates weight, not only for women, but also for anyone who is taller than 1.65 m.
Ideal weight (in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100
Dating back to 1891, Bornhardt’s formula was originally devised to determine the build of people enrolled in the army and thus determine their physical aptitude for military service. Although less popular than Broca’s Index, it is nonetheless more reliable and accurate, since it takes into account the individual’s specific build.
Advantage: It includes the chest circumference and, to a certain extent, muscle mass.
Disadvantage : It’s an approximate calculation.
Ideal weight (in kg) = ((Height (in cm) x Chest circumference (in cm)) / 240
The formula was created by Professor AF Creff in the 1970s, and it offers a precise calculation of your ideal weight, provided that you have an accurate estimate of your body shape and type.
Advantage: It incorporates body morphology into its calculation, in addition to height and age.
Disadvantage: This formula is based on the distinction between “normal”, “broad” and “slender” people. These notions are relatively vague and subjective and thus the calculation remains fairly approximate.
For an individual with a “normal” build:
Ideal weight (in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9
For an individual with a “large” build:
Ideal weight (in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9 x 1.1
For an individual with a “slender” build:
Ideal weight (in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9 x 0.9
This formula was devised by Dr B.J. Devine in 1974. It was originally designed for medicinal dosage purposes. Widely used in English-speaking countries, this formula was employed by major medical and pharmaceutical houses between 1974 and 2000.
Advantage: It allows a given height, measured in inches, to be converted into an ideal weight, in kilograms.
Disadvantage: The formula does not take age into account, thus it remains approximate.
Ideal weight for men (in kg) = 50 (kg) 2.3 x [Height (in inches) – 60]
Ideal female weight (in kg) = 45.5 (kg) 2.3 x [Height (in inches) – 60]
* one inch represents 25 centimetres
The Perrault Formula is also a variation of Broca’s formula.
Advantage: This formula uses age in its calculation.
Disadvantage: It does not take sex into account. Approximate calculation formula.
Ideal weight (in kg) = Height (in cm) – 100 + (age (in years)/10) x 0.9
