A worked example
At 170 cm and 75 kg, BMI is 26.0. The weights that give a BMI of 18.5 and 25 at that height are 53.5 kg and 72.2 kg.
How BMI is calculated
BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres, squared. The World Health Organization uses four adult bands: below 18.5, 18.5 to under 25, 25 to under 30, and 30 or above. In pounds and inches the same figure is 703 × lb ÷ in².
BMI chart
The weight at which each WHO band starts, by height. Between the BMI 18.5 and BMI 25 columns is the healthy range; BMI 30 is where obesity starts. BMI Prime, shown with your result, is your BMI divided by 25: from 0.74 to just under 1.00 is the healthy band, and 1.00 is where overweight begins.
| Height | BMI 18.5 | BMI 25 | BMI 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 41.6 kg | 56.3 kg | 67.5 kg |
| 155 cm | 44.4 kg | 60.1 kg | 72.1 kg |
| 160 cm | 47.4 kg | 64.0 kg | 76.8 kg |
| 165 cm | 50.4 kg | 68.1 kg | 81.7 kg |
| 170 cm | 53.5 kg | 72.2 kg | 86.7 kg |
| 175 cm | 56.7 kg | 76.6 kg | 91.9 kg |
| 180 cm | 59.9 kg | 81.0 kg | 97.2 kg |
| 185 cm | 63.3 kg | 85.6 kg | 102.7 kg |
| 190 cm | 66.8 kg | 90.3 kg | 108.3 kg |
| 195 cm | 70.3 kg | 95.1 kg | 114.1 kg |
| 200 cm | 74.0 kg | 100.0 kg | 120.0 kg |
BMI chart in feet and pounds
The same edges for heights in feet and inches.
| Height | BMI 18.5 | BMI 25 | BMI 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in | 89 lb | 120 lb | 144 lb |
| 5 ft 0 in | 95 lb | 128 lb | 154 lb |
| 5 ft 2 in | 101 lb | 137 lb | 164 lb |
| 5 ft 4 in | 108 lb | 146 lb | 175 lb |
| 5 ft 6 in | 115 lb | 155 lb | 186 lb |
| 5 ft 8 in | 122 lb | 164 lb | 197 lb |
| 5 ft 10 in | 129 lb | 174 lb | 209 lb |
| 6 ft 0 in | 136 lb | 184 lb | 221 lb |
| 6 ft 2 in | 144 lb | 195 lb | 234 lb |
| 6 ft 4 in | 152 lb | 205 lb | 246 lb |
What BMI misses
BMI can’t tell muscle from fat, or where the fat sits. Two people with the same BMI can have quite different bodies, and a muscular athlete can land in “overweight” while being lean. The CDC calls it a screening measure for that reason.
Waist size fills in some of that gap, because fat around the middle carries more health risk than fat elsewhere. The waist-to-height ratio is quick to measure and a useful second number.
Questions people ask
Is BMI different for women and men?
The adult bands are the same for both. Women tend to carry more body fat at the same BMI, which is one of the things BMI doesn’t show.
Does BMI work for children?
Not with these bands. Children and teenagers are judged against growth charts for their age and sex. This calculator is for adults.
Do the bands change with age or ethnicity?
Some countries use lower cut-offs for people of South Asian, Chinese and some other backgrounds, because health risk starts at a lower BMI. The WHO bands here are the general ones.