A healthy weight for a woman who is 5 feet 6 inches tall falls between 118 and 148 pounds, based on the standard BMI range of 19 to 24. That’s the quick answer, but the right number for you depends on your frame size, muscle mass, age, and where your body carries fat.
The Standard BMI Range at 5’6″
The most widely used reference comes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which maps height to weight at each BMI point. For a woman at 5’6″, the healthy-weight zone breaks down like this:
- 118 lbs = BMI of 19
- 124 lbs = BMI of 20
- 130 lbs = BMI of 21
- 136 lbs = BMI of 22
- 142 lbs = BMI of 23
- 148 lbs = BMI of 24
At 155 pounds, a 5’6″ woman crosses into the “overweight” BMI category of 25. That said, BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. The American Medical Association issued a policy statement noting that BMI has significant limitations in clinical settings and should be used alongside other measures like waist circumference, body composition, and metabolic markers. It also acknowledged that BMI doesn’t account well for differences across racial and ethnic groups, sexes, or age.
What Clinical Formulas Suggest
Doctors sometimes use the Hamwi formula, a quick calculation that estimates ideal body weight. For women, it starts at 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, then adds 5 pounds for each additional inch. At 5’6″, that gives you 130 pounds as a midpoint. Adjusting 10 percent in either direction for frame size produces a range of 117 to 143 pounds, which closely mirrors the BMI-based range.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance tables, which were built from large datasets linking weight to longevity, break the range down further by body frame. For a 5’6″ woman, those numbers are 120 to 133 pounds for a small frame, 130 to 144 for a medium frame, and 140 to 159 for a large frame. Notice that a large-framed woman could weigh 155 pounds and still fall within a healthy range by this measure, even though BMI would label her overweight.
Why Frame Size and Muscle Matter
A 5’6″ woman with broad shoulders, a larger ribcage, and dense bones will naturally and healthily weigh more than someone with a narrow build. That’s why the 30-pound spread in the BMI range exists. Two women at the same height can look and feel very different at 130 pounds versus 145 pounds, and both can be perfectly healthy.
Muscle complicates the picture further. Muscle and bone are denser than fat, so BMI can overestimate body fat in women who strength train or play sports. A woman at 5’6″ who weighs 155 pounds with significant muscle mass may carry less health risk than someone at 135 pounds with very little muscle and a higher proportion of body fat. The scale doesn’t distinguish between the two.
How Age Shifts the Picture
Maintaining the same weight gets harder with age, and that’s not just a perception. Women tend to gain about 1.5 pounds per year through their 50s. Muscle mass declines while fat increases, which slows metabolism and makes the same calorie intake produce different results than it did a decade earlier.
The hormonal changes of menopause also redirect where fat is stored. Weight shifts toward the abdomen rather than the hips and thighs, and abdominal fat carries higher metabolic risk. Extra weight around the midsection increases the likelihood of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, and certain cancers including breast, colon, and endometrial. So even if your weight hasn’t changed much over the years, a growing waistline is worth paying attention to.
Measurements That Tell You More Than Weight
If you want a clearer picture of health risk than a number on the scale, two simple measurements can help.
Waist circumference: Women with a waist larger than 35 inches face higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A study covered by the American Heart Association found that waist size actually predicts heart attacks better than BMI, especially in women.
Waist-to-height ratio: Divide your waist measurement in inches by your height in inches. For a 5’6″ woman (66 inches), a ratio between 0.4 and 0.49 is considered healthy, meaning your waist should ideally stay under 33 inches. A ratio of 0.5 or above signals increased risk of heart and circulatory problems. A ratio of 0.6 or higher places you in the highest risk category.
Body fat percentage: A 2025 study using US national survey data defined “overweight” for women as a body fat percentage of 36% or higher, and “obesity” at 42% or higher. You can get a rough body fat estimate through scales with bioelectrical impedance, or a more accurate one through a DEXA scan at a clinic. This number tells you something your weight alone never can: how much of what you carry is fat versus lean tissue.
Finding Your Personal Target
The 118 to 148 pound BMI range is a reasonable starting point, but it’s broad for a reason. A more useful personal target considers your frame, your muscle mass, and where your body stores fat. A 5’6″ woman with a medium frame, moderate activity level, and no significant muscle mass will likely feel best somewhere around 125 to 140 pounds. Someone with a larger frame or more muscle might be healthy and fit at 145 to 155.
Rather than fixating on a single number, track a combination of your weight, your waist circumference, and how you feel physically. If your waist stays under 33 inches, your energy levels are good, and your blood pressure and blood sugar are normal, you’re likely in a healthy range regardless of what any formula says. The most useful “ideal weight” is one where your body functions well and your risk markers stay low.