Health Charts and Reference Tables

Why a chart instead of another calculator

A calculator answers one question for one person. A chart lets you see the shape of the whole relationship: how weight and height combine, how quickly calorie needs rise with activity, how much the four ideal-weight formulas disagree, and where a heart-rate zone actually falls at your age. That context is what turns a single number into a decision you can defend.

Every table on these pages is generated from the same equation used by the matching HealthCalc calculator. The numbers are computed, not typed by hand, so the reference page and the interactive tool cannot quietly drift apart. Where a formula has a known weakness, the page says so next to the table rather than hiding it in a footnote.

Explore the collection

How to read any chart on this site

1. Check the units first. Metric and imperial tables are separate on purpose. A number copied from the wrong table can look plausible while being badly wrong.
2. Find your row, then your column. Charts are built around one fixed variable (often age or height) so that the remaining comparison stays fair.
3. Treat colour and category as a range, not a verdict. A BMI of 24.9 and 25.1 are functionally the same measurement; the category boundary is a convention, not a biological switch.
4. Confirm with a second metric. Weight alone misses body composition, fat distribution and fitness. The case study shows how the numbers fit together.

What the charts are built from

The reference pages use published, reproducible equations rather than proprietary scoring systems:

• BMI — weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, classified with WHO adult cut-offs.
• Calories — Mifflin-St Jeor resting energy expenditure multiplied by standard physical-activity factors.
• Ideal weight — the Hamwi, Devine, Robinson and Miller formulas, shown individually and as an average range.
• Heart rate — age-predicted maximum heart rate with the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method.

Rounding is deliberately conservative: BMI to one decimal place, calories to the nearest 10 kcal, and heart-rate zones to the nearest beat. Small differences between a chart and a calculator are usually rounding, not an error. If you find a genuine mismatch, send us the inputs and we will check it against the source equation.

Full citations and assumptions are on the Methodology page. Our sourcing and correction rules are on the Editorial Policy page.

What these charts cannot tell you

• They cannot diagnose anything. A category is a population statistic applied to an individual, not a clinical finding.
• They cannot see body composition. Muscle, bone density and fat distribution are invisible to height-and-weight formulas.
• They cannot account for medical conditions or medication. Thyroid disease, fluid retention, pregnancy, beta blockers and many other factors change the interpretation.
• They cannot predict your rate of change. Real-world weight change is noisy; the projections on these pages are arithmetic averages, not promises.

Where to start

If you want the shortest useful path: check your BMI, then your maintenance calories, then read the worked case study to see how those two numbers combine with body fat, hydration, heart rate and sleep. If you would rather calculate than look up, every chart links to its matching calculator at the top and bottom of the page.