Value comparison
Target weight vs. "ideal" weight from BMI
Short answer
Target weight on the result sheet comes from balanced body composition, while "ideal" weight is nothing more than an ideal BMI converted to your height.
Side by side
| Aspect | Target weightTW | BMIBMI |
|---|---|---|
| What it is based on | Body composition — the ratio of muscle to fat that would match a sustainably healthy weight. | Height and weight; ideal weight is derived from it as ideal BMI × height². |
| How it is produced | A recommendation calculated from body composition; the manual gives no specific equation. | Calculated from two inputs. Ideal BMI per the manual: 22 for men and 21 for women (21.5 for Western women). |
| Unit | kg | kg/m² (ideal weight then in kg) |
| Where on the sheet | The Weight Control block, next to the recommended change in weight, fat and muscle. | The Obesity Analysis section; ideal weight is the reference for the Muscle-Fat Analysis chart. |
| When to use it | When planning a change and you want a goal that accounts for how much muscle you carry. | When you need a rough population classification that knows nothing about your composition. |
| What it cannot tell you | It is not medical advice or a deadline — it is an orientation goal derived from one measurement. | It cannot separate muscle from fat, so an "ideal" weight can be absurdly low for a trained person. |
When the values diverge
- For a muscular person target weight is usually higher than the weight derived from an ideal BMI, because there is no reason to remove muscle.
- For someone with little muscle target weight can be similar or lower even though BMI sits inside the normal range.
- During recomposition target weight can shift while body weight has not moved at all, because the ratio of muscle to fat underneath it changed.
The most common wrong conclusion
Reading target weight as "what I should weigh for my height". The manual states explicitly that target weight is not derived from height and ideal weight, but from balanced body composition.
Full explanations of each value
Related articles
An InBody measurement is not a diagnostic tool. Results do not determine health status and do not replace a medical examination.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is my target weight higher than what BMI suggests?
Because target weight accounts for the muscle you already have. The manual states that it is not derived from height and ideal weight but from balanced body composition, and cutting muscle just to move a number on the scale makes little sense.
Should I treat target weight as a binding number?
No. It is an orientation goal from a single measurement and it shifts as body composition changes. Reading the recommended fat and muscle change next to it, across several measurements, is far more useful.
Where do I find "ideal weight" on the sheet?
It is not always printed as its own row, but it is the reference for the Muscle-Fat Analysis chart: the bars for weight, muscle and fat are scaled to ideal weight, where 100 % marks the reference value.
Explanations make the most sense alongside your own trend.
The public guide is open to everyone. The client portal adds your own value, history and the context of a specific measurement.