BMI calculator
Enter your height and weight to get your BMI, the category it falls in, and the weight range considered healthy for your height.
- CategoryHealthy weight
- Healthy-range weight for your heightBMI 18.5 to 24.9125.3 to 168.6 lb
- Underweightbelow 18.5
- Healthy weight18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight25 to 29.9
- Obesity30 and above
How to use it
- Pick your units.
- Enter your weight and height. Use the pound and feet fields for imperial, the kilogram and centimetre fields for metric.
- Read your BMI and its category, and the weight range that would put you in the healthy band.
Worked example
165 lb at 5 ft 9 in.
That’s 74.84 kg and 1.7526 m. BMI = 74.84 ÷ 1.7526² = 24.4, in the healthy range. For that height, 18.5 to 24.9 corresponds to 125.3 to 168.6 lb.
How it's calculated
BMI = weight in kilograms ÷ (height in metres)²
Imperial inputs are converted exactly first: 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg, 1 in = 0.0254 m.
Categories follow the WHO and CDC adult cut-offs: under 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 healthy, 25 to 29.9 overweight, 30 and above obesity. The healthy-range weights are the weights that give a BMI of 18.5 and 24.9 at your height.
FAQ
Is BMI accurate for me?
It's a population screening tool. It over-reads for muscular people and under-reads for older adults who have lost muscle. Waist circumference and body-fat measurements add information a single number can't; a clinician can interpret them together.
Do the cut-offs change for age or sex?
Not for adults over 20. Children and teens use age- and sex-specific percentile charts instead, so this calculator isn't for them. Some guidance uses lower cut-offs, 23 and 27.5, for people of South Asian descent.
What does the healthy range mean?
The weights at your height that fall between BMI 18.5 and 24.9. It's a wide band on purpose; where you sit within it is much less important than trends over time and other health measures.
How much should I change my weight to move categories?
Every BMI point is about 3 kg or 6.6 lb for someone of average height. The range row shows the exact weights for the healthy band at your height.
