Adult health screening guide
Healthy Weight Range By Height: How To Read It Properly
A height-based weight table comes from choosing a BMI interval. This guide shows the adult screening calculation, its boundaries and why it cannot identify one ideal personal weight.
Updated 16 October 2026 • Prepared by Tools by Layna Editorial Team
Method: turn an adult BMI interval into weight
AIHW lists the general adult BMI “normal weight” category as 18.5 to less than 25 kg/m². Since BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)², rearranging gives weight (kg) = BMI × height (m)².
The lower limit below uses 18.5. The last column is the BMI 25 boundary, which is excluded from that category. Values are rounded to 0.1 kg to show the method, so do not use a rounded table endpoint to decide an exact classification.
| Height | Weight at BMI 18.5 | Weight at BMI 25 boundary |
|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 41.6 kg | 56.3 kg |
| 155 cm | 44.4 kg | 60.1 kg |
| 160 cm | 47.4 kg | 64.0 kg |
| 165 cm | 50.4 kg | 68.1 kg |
| 170 cm | 53.5 kg | 72.3 kg |
| 175 cm | 56.7 kg | 76.6 kg |
| 180 cm | 59.9 kg | 81.0 kg |
| 185 cm | 63.3 kg | 85.6 kg |
| 190 cm | 66.8 kg | 90.3 kg |
| 195 cm | 70.3 kg | 95.1 kg |
| 200 cm | 74.0 kg | 100.0 kg |
Worked example: height 170 cm
Convert 170 cm to 1.70 m, then square it: 1.70² = 2.89. The lower boundary is 18.5 × 2.89 = 53.465 kg. The BMI 25 boundary is 25 × 2.89 = 72.25 kg.
The mathematical interval is therefore 53.465 kg up to, but not including, 72.25 kg. The table rounds the boundaries for readability. That does not prescribe a target inside the interval.
What height alone leaves out
BMI uses weight and height without measuring body fat, its distribution or muscle mass. It cannot establish an individual’s overall health. A muscular person and another person with different body composition can have the same BMI.
Use the table as a general adult screening reference. Children and adolescents require age- and sex-specific interpretation. Pregnancy, older age, substantial muscle mass and clinical conditions also need individual context. A range produced by an “ideal weight” formula may differ because it is a different method, not because one decimal point is more accurate.
Frequently asked questions
Is the upper number included?
No. The last column shows the BMI 25 boundary. The referenced adult category is BMI 18.5 to less than 25, and the displayed weights are rounded.
Does being inside the range prove I am healthy?
No. BMI does not measure fitness, nutritional adequacy, body-fat distribution or medical markers. It is one screening calculation.
Can I use this table for a child?
No. A child’s BMI needs interpretation for age and sex; the fixed adult interval used here is unsuitable.
Related calculators and guides
Sources and method
- AIHW: adult BMI classifications — The 18.5-to-less-than-25 interval used in this table.
- AIHW: measuring overweight and obesity — Formula, population use and limitations of BMI.