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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.

Manual of Clinical Nutrition Management                                                     
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