Miller Formula Ideal Weight Calculator

The Miller formula (1983) has the gentlest per-inch increase of the four classic equations. Enter your height and sex to see it in kilograms and pounds.

The Miller formula

Men: 56.2 kg + 1.41 kg per inch of height over 5 ft. Women: 53.1 kg + 1.36 kg per inch over 5 ft. It has the highest 5 ft base of the four but the smallest per-inch slope, so it reads heavy for short people and light for tall people relative to the others.

Worked example

A man 5 ft 10 in tall (10 inches over 5 ft): 56.2 + 1.41 × 10 = 70.3 kg (155 lb). A woman the same height: 53.1 + 1.36 × 10 = 66.7 kg (147 lb).

How it compares

At 5 ft 10 in the four formulas land within about 5 kg of each other (Miller 70.3, Robinson 71, Devine 73, Hamwi 75 kg). Miller's flat slope means that at 5 ft 2 in it is the highest of the four, and at 6 ft 4 in it is the lowest — the formulas cross over near average height. If you are far from average height, prefer the healthy BMI range, which scales with height squared.

Ideal weight by height

Height	Devine	Robinson	Miller	Hamwi
5 ft 4 in, man	59 kg	60 kg	62 kg	59 kg
5 ft 10 in, man	73 kg	71 kg	70 kg	75 kg
6 ft 2 in, man	87 kg	83 kg	81 kg	91 kg
5 ft 4 in, woman	55 kg	56 kg	58 kg	54 kg
5 ft 8 in, woman	64 kg	63 kg	64 kg	63 kg

Figures rounded to the nearest kg. Your result above is exact for the height you entered.

The other ideal-weight formulas

Devine formula — the clinical default, and the parent calculator.
Robinson — A 1983 re-fit of Devine's constants — reads a little lighter than Devine at most heights.
Hamwi — The 1964 original, and the heaviest of the four — 48 kg (men) / 45.5 kg (women) plus 2.7 / 2.2 kg per inch.
Healthy BMI range — Not a single number — the whole weight band that lands in a BMI of 18.5–24.9 for your height.

Use it with the other checks

A height-only formula cannot see muscle or fat. Read this figure next to your BMI, your body-fat percentage, and — if you are setting calories — your TDEE. To move toward a target weight, run a modest deficit or surplus with the calorie calculator.

Source: Miller DR et al., 1983. BMI cut-offs: WHO.

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Frequently asked questions

Why does Miller read differently at different heights?

Its per-inch term (1.41 kg for men) is roughly half of Hamwi's (2.7 kg). Starting higher but climbing slower, Miller is above the others for short statures and below them for tall statures, with a crossover around 5 ft 8 in to 5 ft 10 in.

Is Miller better than Devine?

Not meaningfully. All four were fitted to small, non-representative samples decades ago and none tracks body composition. Miller is worth knowing because some nutrition references default to it, and because seeing all four together shows how uncertain a height-only 'ideal' really is.

Does it work for very tall or very short people?

Less well. Every per-inch formula assumes a linear relationship that breaks down at the extremes. Outside roughly 5 ft to 6 ft 3 in, the healthy BMI weight range is the more defensible reference.

Men and women use different constants — why?

Women carry a higher proportion of essential fat and, on average, less lean mass at the same height, so the equations use a lower base and a smaller per-inch increment for women. There is no separate equation for other cases; pick the one matching the sex the formula was derived for.

What should I do with the number?

Compare it with your current weight, your BMI and your body-fat percentage. If all three point the same way, that is a useful signal. If they disagree — common for muscular people — trust body composition and waist size over the height formula.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Figures and formulas are checked against their published sources; see the site's data notes.