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Harris-Benedict Equation (Revised, Roza & Shizgal 1984)

Revised Harris-Benedict (Roza & Shizgal 1984) estimates resting energy expenditure: men 88.362 + 13.397W + 4.799H − 5.677A; women 447.593 + 9.247W + 3.098H − 4.330A (W kg, H cm, A years). Multiply by an activity or stress factor for total needs; precision is about ±14%.

Weight (kg or lb)
Height (cm or m or in)
Age (years)
Sex: Male; Female

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Formula

Men: 88.362 + 13.397 × W + 4.799 × H − 5.677 × A. Women: 447.593 + 9.247 × W + 3.098 × H − 4.330 × A. (W kg, H cm, A years)

Clinical pearls

Mifflin-St Jeor is more accurate in modern, including obese, populations.
Unreliable in malnourished patients (underestimates); indirect calorimetry is preferred in ICU.

Examples

harris benedict 80 kg 180 cm 40 yo male bmr for a 30 year old woman 60 kg 165 cm resting energy expenditure 45M 95kg 5'10"

FAQ

Harris-Benedict or Mifflin-St Jeor?

Mifflin-St Jeor predicts measured resting energy expenditure more accurately in most adults; Harris-Benedict tends to overestimate by about 5%.

How do I get total daily calories from Harris-Benedict?

Multiply the result by an activity factor, e.g. 1.2 sedentary, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active.

Evidence

Roza AM, Shizgal HM. The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. Am J Clin Nutr 1984;40:168–82.

General & Anthropometrics · Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Methodology