Manual of Clinical Nutrition Management II- 7 Copyright © 2013 Compass Group, Inc.
DETERMINING IDEAL BODY WEIGHT (IBW) BASED ON HEIGHT TO
WEIGHT: THE HAMWI METHOD
Frame Size Females Males
Medium Allow 100 lb for first 5 ft of height plus 5 lb for
each additional inch. Subtract 2.5 lb for each
inch less than 5 ft.
Allow 106 lb for first 5 ft of height plus 6
lb for each additional inch. Subtract 2.5
lb for each inch under 5 ft.Small Subtract 10% Subtract 10%
Large Add 10% Add 10%
Source: Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: US Depts of Agriculture and Health and
Human Services; 1990. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232.
Hamwi GJ. Changing dietary concepts. In: Danowski TS (ed). Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Treatment, Vol. 1. New York:
American Diabetes Association, Inc; 1964:73-78.
The above method of calculating Ideal Body Weight (IBW) is also referred to as the 5 foot rule.
HEALTHY WEIGHT CHART
- Without Shoes
**Without Clothes
Source: Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000.vailable at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/dgac/dgacguideexp.pdf. Accessed February 23, 2000.