Body Composition
Ideal Weight (Miller)
Estimates ideal body weight from height and sex using the Miller 1983 regression formula.
Estimates ideal body weight from height and sex using the Miller 1983 regression formula.
Nothing here is a black box - the script embedded in this page applies the published equation shown in the code with the inputs you enter, and returns the same precision you would get working it out manually. The page is written for people who re-measure over time: the result fits the same progress rhythm Macrition uses for weight and waist, so the number stays comparable with everything else you record.
About Ideal Weight (Miller)
The Miller formula was published by D. R. Miller and colleagues in 1983 alongside the Robinson formula in the same issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Like Robinson, Miller re-derived ideal body weight coefficients from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company height and weight tables using formal regression. The Miller formula produces the lowest ideal weight estimates of the four major IBW formulas for tall adults, because it combines the highest base weight at 5 feet with the smallest per-inch increment.How the formula works
The Miller formula uses the same base-plus-increment structure as Devine and Robinson. For men: IBW = 56.2 + 1.41 x (height in inches - 60). For women: IBW = 53.1 + 1.36 x (height in inches - 60). Compared with Devine (base 50, increment 2.3 for men) and Robinson (base 52, increment 1.9), Miller has the highest base (56.2 for men, 53.1 for women) and the lowest per-inch increment (1.41 for men, 1.36 for women). This produces a flatter weight-versus-height curve that yields higher ideal weights for short adults and lower ideal weights for tall adults.Evidence and comparison
Miller derived his coefficients by regressing the midpoint of the medium-frame desirable weight ranges from the 1983 Metropolitan Life tables on height, but he used a different regression approach than Robinson, which produced the distinctive flat slope. A 2007 review by Shah and colleagues comparing the four major IBW formulas found that Miller's formula gives the lowest estimates for adults above about 5 feet 6 inches and the highest for those below about 5 feet 2 inches. For a 175 cm (5 foot 9 inch) man, Miller predicts about 71.5 kg, compared with 73 kg (Devine) and 72.5 kg (Robinson).Interpretation
The Miller formula gives an ideal weight that corresponds to a BMI of approximately 21 to 22 for average-height adults, slightly lower than Devine and Robinson. As with other IBW formulas, a plus or minus 10 percent adjustment for frame size is commonly applied. The flatter slope of the Miller formula means it produces more conservative (lower) ideal weights for tall individuals, which some clinicians prefer for weight-management targets but which may underestimate healthy weight for tall, muscular people.When to use it
The Miller formula is used as an alternative to Devine and Robinson for ideal weight estimation, particularly when a more conservative target is desired for tall adults. It is included in many nutrition and pharmacy calculators as one of several IBW options. Because the differences among the four major IBW formulas are small for average-height adults, the choice is often a matter of preference or institutional convention.Limitations
The Miller formula shares the limitations of all IBW formulas: it does not account for frame size, age, body composition, or muscle mass, and it was derived from mid-20th-century insurance data that may not represent modern populations. The flat slope produces ideal weights that some consider too low for tall adults and too high for short adults. It should not be used for children, pregnant women, athletes, or the very elderly without adjustment. For contemporary applications, BMI-based ideal weight or body-composition-based targets are often preferred, but the Miller formula remains a useful reference and a counterpoint to the more steeply sloped Devine formula.
Editorial and formula review
Formula sources, population limits, and references for this body composition calculator are documented in our public methodology. Read the methodology · Medical disclaimer
Frequently asked questions
Miller's formula has the highest base weight at 5 feet (56.2 kg for men) but the smallest per-inch increment (1.41 kg). This flat slope means the predicted weight rises slowly with height, producing lower values than Devine (2.3 kg per inch) for adults above about 5 feet 6 inches.
For average-height adults the four major formulas (Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi) agree within 2 to 4 kg, so the choice is largely conventional. Devine is the clinical standard for drug dosing; Robinson and Miller are alternatives based on actuarial regression. Many clinicians prefer to compute several and use a range rather than a single value.
Yes, particularly for drug dosing, mechanical ventilation, and nutrition prescription in obese patients, where actual body weight is misleading. IBW formulas give a single height-based target that is useful for these applications. For general healthy-weight assessment, BMI and body composition are usually more informative.