1. What is Ideal Body Weight?

Ideal Body Weight (IBW) is an estimate of healthy weight based on height and gender. The Hamwi formula is commonly used in medical settings for drug dosing, nutritional assessment, and determining weight goals.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Hamwi formula:

Where:

• Height is measured in inches
• For men: Base weight is 50kg for first 60 inches, plus 2.3kg per additional inch
• For women: Base weight is 45.5kg for first 60 inches, plus 2.3kg per additional inch

Note: If current weight is provided, the calculator also computes BMI (weight in kg divided by height in meters squared).

3. Importance of IBW Calculation

Clinical Uses: IBW is used for medication dosing, nutritional assessment, determining weight goals, and as a reference point for obesity classification.

4. Using the Calculator

Instructions: Enter height in inches, select gender, and optionally enter current weight in kg. The calculator will provide IBW and (if weight provided) BMI.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Hamwi formula?
A: It provides a reasonable estimate for most adults but may not account for body composition variations in athletes or elderly.

Q2: What's the difference between IBW and BMI?
A: IBW is a single target weight based on height/gender, while BMI is a ratio of weight to height used to classify weight categories.

Q3: When is IBW used clinically?
A: Commonly used for drug dosing (especially chemotherapy), ventilator settings, and nutritional assessments.

Q4: How to convert height from cm to inches?
A: Divide cm by 2.54 to get inches (e.g., 170 cm = 170/2.54 ≈ 66.9 inches).

Q5: What are normal BMI ranges?
A: Underweight (<18.5), Normal (18.5-24.9), Overweight (25-29.9), Obese (≥30).